Reflection
by She-Jedi-Siona
Summary: *FINISHED!!* When Yoda's grandson is found by Yaddle, the two suddenly find themselves in a forbidden relationship. But when Yaddle is kidnapped, it is up to Yaro (the grandson) to save her.
1. Part 1

Reflection Saga: Chapter 1 Written by: Siona Wowie! My first Star Wars fic! I'm so proud of this. ^^ But, considering it's my first fic in this wonderful story and phenomenon, do expect errors people!! I'm but a mere Padawan at this, but extremely willing to learn!! I would really appreciate any reviews, comments, flames even!! Oh yeah. I'm THAT desperate. So, without further ado, here's the foremost chapter of this little thing of mine!  
  
Mace Windu, Jedi Master, studied sadly with cheerless eyes as a tiny body slowly smoldered to ashes on a funeral pyre. His smooth brown face was alit by the flames as they danced upon bone and flesh. The rest of the Jedi Council also was there...except one. The quiet presence of Yaddle was absent, choosing instead to grieve alone. She had the full right to.  
  
The Jedi sighed, closing his eyes as he remembered the life that had once resided inside the blazing elfin body.  
  
The life of the Jedi Master Yaro.  
  
*****  
  
Yaro's heart thundered as he crept into the tall spire of the Jedi Temple. He had prepared all week to do this task; clipped his long, yellow toenails so they would make no sound upon the tile, wore special gloves as of not to leave prints of his three fingers, even put on soft, hand-made, bantha wool shoes to increase his silent approach.  
  
He looked out into the hall with bright, but cautious bronze-green eyes. A strand of brown hair fell into his eyes and he puffed air upwards to push it back. He might as well have had a rat's nest on his head; his hair was so tangled that Yaro expected that if he ever dared to brush it, either his hair would come out or the comb would break.  
  
Footsteps! Someone's coming! , his senses screamed inside his head. As soon as the thought had occurred, a sapphire-colored, male Twi'lek in light-brown robes walked towards him. As quick as he could, Yaro vanished behind the pillar he hid behind, hiding his presence as best as he could. The Jedi Knight strolled right past the 2 foot boy, not even noticing his presence.  
  
As soon as the Jedi had disappeared from sight, Yaro gave a heavy sigh, and then quickly silenced himself. 215 years of living in the streets had taught him how to be inconspicuous and silent as a dead man. Mentally thanking himself for his acute senses and large, sensitive ears, he began his trek towards . . . the main kitchen.  
  
*****  
  
"Wow," was the only thing Yaro could think of to say about the galley. It was huge! There had to be hundreds upon hundreds of different kinds of foods and drinks stored here, from the Core Worlds all the way to the Outer Rim. His mouth simply watered at the sight, let alone the smell. He began to walk forwards when he stepped on a small crumb. The crunch echoed slightly through the storage room, bringing Yaro back to reality.  
  
Shaking his head in disgust at himself, he swung a small pack off of his shoulders. "Let's see, let's see." He looked at the provisions on the bottom shelf. Uck, looked to fancy. Turning around, he decided on the barrels.  
  
Prying one open, he tipped it slightly to see the provisions inside. From the looks of it, fruit. "Hm. Guess being a Jedi has its perks!" He reached inside and picked out a fresh-looking fruit. It was a slight green, like his own skin, and fuzzy. After sniffing it cautiously, Yaro took a bite. A tangy and spicy taste hit his mouth, making him feel warm all over. "Oh yeah, this is a keeper!"  
  
He stuffed a few of the tasty fruit inside his bag, and then went around the large room and filled his pack with fruit, vegetables, and pastries, occasionally eating a tartlet here or one of the spicy fruit there.  
  
After his bag had been filled, Yaro crept back outside, when-  
  
"Hey! Hey, you there! What are you doing?"  
  
"Uh oh." A Jedi had spotted him! A hard mass hit him right on the side of his head. Yaro looked over his shoulder at his attacker...the chef. He looked down, and a wooden spatula lay on the floor near his small feet.  
  
"Get out of here, dirty little thief!" The cook yelled at him, his fat face puckering up and turning scarlet. He waved a second wooden spoon in the air like it was a lethal weapon to be feared by all. His plump body bobbed up and down, seething with anger.  
  
Yaro laughed. There wasn't a smuggler, bounty hunter, or robber on Coruscant who could stop him; he was most definitely not going to be captured by some fat little chef.  
  
Suddenly, three fully armed Jedi came around the corner, lightsabers activated.  
  
"Whoops." Yaro dashed through the hall and down the stairs as fast as his feet could carry him. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his feet. The bantha wool, although quiet, was rough; the pounding of his feet on the floor forced the fabric into his skin. With every step, he left a bloody mark upon the crystal clear tile.  
  
After running for a few minutes, Jedi Knights of all species and ages on his tail, Yaro came into a large, open area. Filled with Jedi. "Oh no. I'm so busted."  
  
"Stop that boy! The little green one!" The chef's voice echoed from atop the flight of stairs, and Yaro could see the shadows appearing. "He stole from the kitchen!"  
  
All the Jedi, young and old, turned to look at the boy. Curiosity turned to swift anger. Realizing what was about to happen, Yaro looked around and spied an elevator.  
  
The chef and his posse came down the stairway. The chubby man pointed an accusing finger at Yaro, yelling with a shrill voice, "Get him!"  
  
"Aah!" Yaro made a dash for the elevator and ran inside, closing the door. The Jedi began to run at him as he desperately pushed at random buttons. The elevator jerked to life and began its descent downwards. Yaro waved cheerfully at the group of Jedi and the fuming chef below, laughing silently to himself. How smart he was!  
  
Bing. "You are now on the 2nd level," the robotic, singsong elevator voice told him. "Have an enjoyable day, and may the Force be with you."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." As soon as the doors unlocked, Yaro had once again sprinted down the corridor when a door opened and a small, frail man bent over a cane appeared. Spotting each other too late, Yaro and the old alien collided. Food flew into the air and fell around them like dead leaves from a tree. The cane fell to the ground.  
  
"Whoa!" The old man complained, gently pushing Yaro off. "Off, off! Who be you?" The elder looked at Yaro and then stared, as did Yaro at the elder. They looked almost exactly alike; save for the fact the older one had lost a good deal of his hair. The old man's sharp yellow eyes took in every thing about Yaro's appearance in a single glance. His baffled look gave way to astonishment. "Yaro?..."  
  
Yaro, too, was surprised. Who was this guy? He had never, in his entire life on Coruscant, met another of his kind. But here was one...old, but one of Yaro's-  
  
An old, elfin man, Yoda, was instructing a much younger Yaro on how to hold his lightsaber properly. Next to this man, a more youthful style of the elderly Jedi, but more like an older version of Yaro. His green eyes shone with pride, his long auburn hair shone along his back. A helmet blocked both Yaro's hearing and sight. But, through the Force, he could see the small metallic ball that hovered just above his head. "Feel the Force around you, you must!" The wizened Jedi Master said. "Deceive you, your eyes will."  
  
-- Yaro shook his head, forcing the vision out of his mind. Whoa. That vision had come out of nowhere.  
  
"You!"  
  
"Huh?" Yaro turned and saw the mob of the cook and Jedi come into view. "Aah!" Jerking up onto his feet, he scrambled to shove the food back into his knapsack and run down the hall. "Sorry, uh, sir! Excuse me, bye!" He vanished around the corner.  
  
As the rest of the Jedi raced after the sneak, one stopped and gave the elderly man his cane. "Master Yoda! Are you alright, sir?"  
  
Yoda grunted and accepted the cane, his eyes not on the man who had helped him up, but on the empty hallway with floors stained red in spots. "Yes...alright I am...but go meditate, I must." He walked slowly down the hall, confused and enlightened at the same time.  
  
*****  
  
Padawan Learner Yaddle walked down the hallway, short arms filled with scrolls. Her red hair piled on top of her head like a bush, curling this way and that like a living creature. Yellow eyes danced with the thought of learning more knowledge, and becoming a good enough Jedi to please her Master.  
  
She had just returned from the library and was now looking forward to reading privately in her room when suddenly a young boy of her species and age came charging through the hall. His head was turned behind him, and he held a heavy-looking sack in his arms.  
  
"Wait, stop!" She tried to warn him, but belatedly as the youth crashed into her. Books collided with the bag, sending fruit onto the floor alongside the scrolls.  
  
"Ow! Not again!" The brown-haired youth looked up at her, his green- bronze eyes full of anger and frustration. But as he looked at Yaddle, his expression changed. Yaddle, too, felt her irritation melt away like ice under a sun. Their eyes locked, and Yaddle had no desire to leave that gaze; it was so bright and full of life, but she could see scars of pain and loneliness as well. The two teens stared at each other for a few seconds, saying nothing. She looked him up and down, taking in his ragged blue vest with white trim tucked into his white pants, his bleeding feet with wool coverings, his dull red and stained vest. He certainly doesn't look like a Jedi...  
  
Suddenly, angry voices echoed throughout the corridor. Their owners' shadows began to grow along the wall. The boy gasped, and struggled to pick up the bruised fruit and smashed pastries and put them in his sack. Yaddle, too, helped him pick up his food, though she didn't know why.  
  
Their hands met over a small honey-cake. The boy flinched at the touch, as if he had learned from a bad experience to stay away from the contact of another being. He drew back his hand, holding the cake in his hand. He looked at it, then smiled, and put it in Yaddle's hand. "Thank you," He said sincerely. "Could you tell me where the nearest exit is?"  
  
Confused, Yaddle pointed to another elevator. "That will take you to the very bottom floor, but why-"  
  
"Thanks again!" The boy dashed off to the elevator, bag of food in hand. He shut the door quickly, pressing buttons desperately. He smiled crookedly at Yaddle as the elevator crawled slowly down. Despite herself, Yaddle grinned slightly and waved back.  
  
As soon as the elevator was out of sight, a small posse of Jedi and the Head Chef came into view. Panting, the scarlet-faced cook asked, "Yaddle, where'd that boy go?" From the way he was twisting the spoon in his chubby hands, he was quite angry at this boy.  
  
Yaddle pointed to the rest of the hallway, farther away from the elevator. "I think he went that way, sir."  
  
"Thanks lass," Turning to the Jedi, he said, "Let's go find that scamp!" The group ran down the passageway, the cook venting his anger by waving the spoon furiously in the air.  
  
Yaddle wondered why they were so angry with the mysterious boy. She looked down at the cake in her hand. Had he stolen from the galley? That'd explain the Head Chef's anger; he was very touchy about his food and how they were treated. Great. She had helped a thief escape. If her Master, Polvin Kut, found out...she shuddered to think of it.  
  
And yet something...something about him was terribly familiar. And his eyes...they had burned with a passion for life. They had frightened and hypnotized her at the same time. She had never seen such eyes...  
  
Yaddle shook the thought from her head. She had to track this boy down and demand he return the food. As a future Jedi Knight, she felt it was her duty. Picking herself up from the floor, she stored the honey-cake in her pocket and licked the sweet nectar off her fingers, and sighed. It tasted wonderful every time. After all the honey was gone from her fingers, she stored the scrolls safely in her jacket, for safekeeping. "Now, to find that boy!" She dashed into the elevator, hoping she wasn't too late.  
  
*****  
  
Yaro panted, wiping the sweat from his brow. When his sleeve came away, it was soaked. Adrenaline surged through his body, numbing the pain of his still sore and bleeding feet. As he leaned against a wall several meters away from the Temple, reality came back full force: He had successfully stolen from the Jedi Knights! He laughed to himself, stunned at his own brilliance. Wait till I tell the others about this! , He thought quietly. He began to sneak off when-  
  
"Hey! Boy! Wait up!"  
  
Yaro sighed. Half the battle is knowing when you're beaten, he thought. And I've been beat.  
  
But it wasn't Jedi or the insane Chef; it was the girl he had run over in the hallway. As she ran up to him, her hair bounced on her hair, rippling like water. Her pockets bulged with the scrolls and the lone honey- cake he had left her. "Did you steal from the Jedi Temple?"  
  
Yaro shrugged, smiling lopsided and chuckled softly. "Maybe, maybe not."  
  
The girl took on an air of frustration and irritation. "If you did, you should return that immediately!" She put her hands on her hips, pushing back her vest. A lightsaber handle stuck out from her belt and Yaro gasped slightly. This-this girl was a Jedi too!?  
  
Overcoming his shock, he said, "So what? It's just a little food! Compared to all the fodder I saw in that storeroom, this isn't even a snack for you Jedi!"  
  
"It is when there's almost 100 thousand Jedi living there, and more being trained!"  
  
"Oh." Yaro hadn't thought of it that way. He scratched his head with a claw, a thoughtful look on his face. "To return or not to return. What a decision..."  
  
He suddenly leaped almost 5 feet in the air using his abilities, a considerable height for someone his size. "Sorry chicky, but I need this food!" Throwing her a salute, he flung down a scroll, saying, "I'm not interested in all these scribbles, you can have it back!"  
  
He dashed off along the roof of the building, sure that the girl couldn't follow him. But the girl, too, jumped upwards and pursued him. "Give them back!" She cried. "You have no right to take those!"  
  
Yaro laughed, looking behind him at the Jedi adolescent. "You'll have to catch me, Jedi!"  
  
As soon as the roof ended, he bounded into the crack separating it, and the second building. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he ran down the garbage-strewn alley at top speed, leaving his pursuer in the dust.  
  
*****  
  
Yaddle stomped her foot angrily on a piece of paper. Whoever-he-was had escaped! She sighed, and looked back towards the towering Jedi Temple. "Now I'll have to explain why I'm out here, and with scrolls from the Archives and a pastry!"  
  
She began to trek unhappily to her home, but then she noticed something. The paper was sticking to her foot. Yaddle shook her foot in an attempt to dislodge it, but it would not come off. She pulled at it with a hand and used the other to balance herself on a trash bin. She gasped when she saw why the paper had stuck to her foot: it was covered in blood.  
  
She glanced down at her foot. No cuts, so it couldn't be hers. Then she remembered; the thief's feet had been bleeding when he had bumped into her. She looked down and barely touched the blood. "Still fresh," She murmured.  
  
Looking down the alley, she could see the bloody remains of where the crook had ran. "Now I'll get him, for sure!"  
  
She ran down the alley, following the scarlet trail of blood.  
  
~Well, there you have it! The very first chapter to the very first part to my very first Star Wars fic!! YAY!! ^^ Wanna find out how Yoda knew Yaro and if Yaddle can catch him? *singsong voice* You're gonna have to wait for Chapter 2!! *devilish grin* 


	2. Part 2

Reflection Saga: Chapter 2 Written by: Siona Okey dokey, my plot's finally underway!! *evil laugh* Let's find out what's the deal with Yaro, shall we?  
  
Yaddle's feet pounded like drums as she rushed down the alley. The blood-spattered trail left by the bandit who had robbed from the Jedi Temple shone out brightly for her to follow. The alley suddenly opened into a huge, open area strewn with forgotten furniture and household machines.  
  
She slowed her pace to a slug's pace, being as quiet as possible. Using the Force to hide her presence, she peeked slowly around the corner. There was the boy! He stood in the center, where there was no litter save a bucket. What's he doing? Yaddle wondered. The boy whistled loudly and stomped his foot on the bucket twice. What happened next shocked Yaddle.  
  
At least fifteen children spewed out from behind the furnishings and machinery. They were from all kinds of different worlds and species, but all looked very hungry and tired. Their clothes were tattered and full of holes. Some had no shirts on, revealing their ribcages and vertebrae. Yaddle was horrified and disgusted. She had never, in her entire 412 years of living on Coruscant, heard of homeless children. And 412 years was how long she'd been alive.  
  
"What'd ya get, Yaro?" A young Rodian asked the thief in Huttese. So that was the boy's name. "Is it true you went into the Jedi Temple?"  
  
Yaro chuckled like a father encircled by his children who were begging for a bedtime story. "You can bet your credits it is!" He spread his hands out, bending over as the children sat down. "I was trapped, surrounded by almost fifty Jedi!"  
  
A young Human scoffed. "Now way! You're fibbin' Yaro!"  
  
Yaro sighed, like a child caught in the middle of a lie. "Yeah, you're right." Then he smiled mischievously. "It was actually sixty. Just didn't want to scare you kids." The children all gasped; the young Human who had spoken out covered his mouth. "Anyway, they had me trapped. They edged in with their lightsabers activated, ready to chop me up in itty bitty pieces! But when they dived for me-" He leaped up on top of the bucket-"I jumped ten feet into the air! I ran along the wall, and escaped back here, to serve my little friends dinner."  
  
"Yay!" The children cheered him on, and then stood back up, awaiting their meal. Yaro smiled happily at the group of younglings in front of him and sat back down on the bucket. "Well, let's see what we got." He hoisted the sack off of his shoulders and opened it, revealing milk and clean water in containers, and many different kinds of fruits, vegetables, and pastries. The kids shrieked in delight and made a grab for the food.  
  
Yaro snatched the bag back. "Now hold on a second! If ya eat it all, not only will you have upset tummies, but then we'll have nothing to eat tomorrow! One at a time!"  
  
We? Yaddle pondered. He's homeless too? She was suddenly no longer mad at Yaro; how could she? He hadn't stolen for his own greed, but to feed starving children, many of whom didn't look over the age of ten.  
  
As the children lined up in two rows, Yaro sat down on the bucket. "'Kay, whose first?" A little Twi'lek girl, holding her baby brother, stepped forward and held out a hand. It broke Yaddle's heart to see them, especially the babe.  
  
"Let's see...," Yaro scavenged around in the bag with both hands. Pulling out a cream-filled pastry, a fuzzy green fruit, and a bottle of milk, he presented them to the girl. "Here ya go! The milk's for your brother." He put them in her arms and patted her head. "Take care."  
  
Smiling brightly, the Twi'lek ran off into the alley. Yaddle dived behind a trash disposal to avoid being seen. Once the child had left, Yaddle peeked around the corner. Yaro was still serving the children one by one, giving each one a fruit or vegetable, a piece of bread, and water, or milk if they were younger.  
  
An hour later, the last child, the Rodian, was given his food. "Thanks again, Yaro! You're the greatest!"  
  
Yaro smiled that crooked smile again. "Aw, shucks. Just doing my part, kid! Go on now!" The Rodian child ran off, holding his food and water like delicate treasures. Yaddle watched him go, and then looked back at Yaro. He was searching around in the bag for food. He pulled out a meager piece of a melon. He sighed, and began to eat.  
  
Yaddle couldn't take it anymore. She strode out, startling Yaro so badly he dropped his food in the dirt. "W-What the? Hey, who are-" He stopped short when he recognized her. His ears flattened against his head in a gesture of annoyance. "You again!? Do you ever give up?"  
  
Yaddle put her hands on her hips again, trying to be patient. "No I don't. But I do understand why you stole that food."  
  
Yaro gave her a long, suspicious look. "How long you been here?"  
  
"Long enough, Yaro." She walked over and sat cross-legged on the dirt near him. Spying his fallen melon piece, she handed it to him and pulled out her own honey-cake. "Thank you for the cake, by the way." Yaddle grabbed a glance at Yaro's injured feet. "Here, let me help with that." After taking the blood-spattered feet coverings off of his feet, she tore off two long strips of her sleeves, wrapping them gently, but tightly, around Yaro's feet. The fabric turned a faint red, but ceased to bleed.  
  
"Hey, thanks," He said, nibbling on his melon. "So, who are you? You seem to know my name."  
  
Yaddle took a bite of her honey-cake, swallowing before answering, "Yaddle, Jedi apprentice to Polvin Kut."  
  
"Hm. Never heard of him," He moved away from the bucket, sitting down beside Yaddle. "You're an apprentice? If you're just a student, why do you have a lightsaber?"  
  
"Because I'm responsible enough to have one. Otherwise, I wouldn't go near one."  
  
Yaro scoffed. "Why not? You can kick serious butt with that thing."  
  
"Because if a lightsaber is given to an irresponsible person, even good-hearted intentions can become evil, and cause suffering and pain to innocent people."  
  
"Oh," He looked a bit stunned. "Didn't think of that."  
  
Yaddle laughed, the first time today, and ate the rest of her cake. "You don't seem to do much of that, Yaro."  
  
He chuckled, a very soft and almost silent sound. "Yeah, ya got that right." The two sat in silence for a while, watching speeders fly overhead. Yaddle thought about what she had just seen. If I turn him in, he'll get in serious trouble and the children might starve. But if I don't, I'll get in trouble and I'll be defending someone who did a wrong. What to do...  
  
Yaddle suddenly noticed Yaro was staring at her. Again, she felt herself sink into those wonderful eyes. His brown hair rippled slightly in the breeze, like a small wave atop his head repeating the same pattern over and over. Those eyes... Snapping out of it, she said, "Why are you staring, Yaro? It's rude, you know."  
  
"You're thinking," He said bluntly. "About me."  
  
Yaddle was shocked, but regained her composure. "How did you know?"  
  
He shrugged and ate the last of his melon, chewing slowly as if to savor it forever. When he swallowed, he said, "I can hear you. And in case you ask, you're giving me a headache."  
  
"Oh." Yaddle was confused. Was this boy...could he be... She concentrated her thoughts on the bucket. Using the Force, she began to lift the bucket into the air. After a few seconds, she set it back down. Pointing to it, she said, "Can you do that?"  
  
Yaro shrugged again. He seemed to have a habit of that. "I dunno, guess I'll try." His eyes shut till they were almost slit, and Yaddle suddenly had a thought of Yoda's own sleepy eyes. She could feel Yaro using the Force, and his ability to control it. The bucket began to tremble, then it rose nearly a foot in the air. Yaro sighed and put it back down. "Phew. Haven't done that in a while, tell ya that!"  
  
Yaddle didn't say anything. She couldn't. Though he was untrained, Yaro had a connection with the Force! Her brows knotted. Why hadn't the Council found him earlier? "How...how old are you, Yaro?"  
  
Yaro didn't answer. He used his toes to trace lines in the dirt. Not wanting to press him, Yaddle waited anxiously. "I...I don't really know, Yaddle," He said at last. He looked at her and she could see that the pool of light in his eyes that her soul had almost drowned in was dark, dim.  
  
"217 years ago, I woke up on a jungle planet, with no one remember. My head throbbed, it was bleeding. Nobody was there, just me. I...couldn't remember anything at all. I only knew of my name, and how to do things like read minds and levitate things," His voice began to break. "I don't know who I am, what I am, how old I am, or where I come from." Yaro turned his glance to the ground, pulling his knees up to his chin. "I was taken in by some Republic air pilots a year later, who taught me 'the ropes', and brought me to here, to Coruscant. But when I found some starving kids, I left them and vowed to take care of these children. I didn't want them to be alone and not wanted, like I was." He turned his face away from Yaddle, resting his head on his knees. "So that's what I've been doing, for as long as I can remember."  
  
Yaddle didn't know what to say. What could she say? She edged over closer and put an arm around Yaro's shoulder to comfort him. He didn't protest or shrug it off, so she left it there. "Yaro? I think...I think you're Jedi."  
  
He looked up, a perplexed look on his face, but the light began to shine a little brighter in his eyes. "What are you talking about?"  
  
She stood up, pulling him upwards with him. "I think you could be a Jedi! Okay, you're a little old and inexperienced, but I think it's possible! I could take you the Council and-"  
  
"Whoa, whoa!" Yaro slid out of Yaddle's grasp, backing away from her. "I just escaped from that place only with sheer luck, and you want me to go back!?" He scoffed. "You're wacko."  
  
Yaddle huffed up. "Well, if you'd just give it a shot, maybe the Council would forgive you. I think they would understand that you took it only to feed those children!" She held a hand out to him. "Well?"  
  
Yaro looked at it, uneasily. Then he extended his own and shook Yaddle's hand slightly. She noticed his hand was very warm. "Deal," He said. "But I have a very bad feeling about this."  
  
*****  
  
"Are we there yet?" Yaro was becoming impatient. He and Yaddle had been looking for some Yoda guy to check him out, but unsuccessfully. "I just know that psycho cook of yours is come around the corner and bust my head open with a spoon."  
  
"Actually, he can use a lightsaber if he wanted to," Yaddle said matter-of-factly. "But he wanted to be Head Chef instead."  
  
"A mad Jedi cook? With a lightsaber?" Yaro was suddenly nervous. "Yaddle, has anyone told you you're not very comforting?"  
  
"No, why?"  
  
"No reason." He looked around the halls, wringing his hands. What if Yaddle was leading him into a trap? He certainly had more enemies than friends. He looked at the back of Yaddle's head as she led through the passage. She didn't seem like the cheating kind, her mind was too clear. His ears perked up. Maybe she's right! He thought. Maybe I am Jedi!  
  
Yaddle came to a stop in front of a door. She pressed a small button on the intercom and said into it, "Master Yoda? It's Yaddle; I need to speak with you."  
  
Yoda? Yaro thought. That...that name sounds familiar-  
  
"Papa! Papa!" Yaro ran up to a man that resembled him a lot. The Jedi turned and kneeled down, welcoming the boy with open arms. His dusty-brown robes enveloped Yaro in its flowing sleeves. "Hello Yaro! How were your lessons today, little one?"  
  
"Very good, they were." A wizened old man walked from behind Yaro, leaning on his cane. "Getting better, he is."  
  
The man smiled. "That's nice to hear, Master Yoda."  
  
--"Wha?" Yaro shook his head. What was with these flashbacks? They hadn't appeared this often in one day for a long time. Ever, actually. The door swished open and Yaddle walked inside, gesturing for Yaro to follow. He tagged along, unsure of himself. He took a quick glance around the room when the door had shut again. Two round, white seats sat in the center, a small statue or something placed on one. The blinds were pulled down so only small slivers of light came through.  
  
"Ah. So, come back you have?"  
  
Yaro jumped at the sound of the voice, instantly on alert. That was when he noticed the small body sitting cross-legged on one of the round seats. He had been so still that Yaro had almost thought he was part of the décor. "Are you Master Yoda?"  
  
The figure uncrossed his legs and picked up a wooden cane. Sliding off the seat, he walked into the light. It was the old man who Yaro had knocked over in the hall! Yaro could feel his face burn with embarrassment. He had practically run over a Jedi Master!  
  
Yoda must have noticed, because he laughed softly. "No need to be embarrassed," He chuckled again, and looked at Yaddle. "Who is the boy, Yaddle?"  
  
Yaddle bowed slightly in respect and said, "This is Yaro, Master, and I thought you would like to meet him," Motioning to Yaro, she said, "He has Jedi abilities."  
  
Suddenly interested, Yoda crooned, "Oh?" He looked at Yaro, his sleepy eyes focused solely on him. "Like to see this, I would," Yoda pulled a small ball out of his hand. "Take it from me, Yaro."  
  
"Oh," Yaro reached toward the ball when the Jedi, with lightning speed, hit his knuckles hard with the cane. "Ow!" His knuckles smarting furiously, he shook his hand to relieve the pain. "What'd ya do that for, you told me to take the ball!"  
  
"No!" Yoda said sternly. His voice and expression had changed from soft and old to harsh and strict. "Told you to take the ball with your abilities, I did!" He sighed and held the ball out in his palm again. "Do it again."  
  
Yaro sighed too, and concentrated on the ball. He didn't usually have the chance to do this, what with stealing, feeding kids, and running away from security. But he extended his powers out to the ball, making it hover in the air.  
  
"Hm...good. Good," Yoda whispered almost to himself. "How old, are you Yaro?"  
  
Yaro hesitated. "Uh...I don't know sir." He felt his face flush again. "I have amnesia...but I've been on the streets for about 217 years, as long as I can remember."  
  
Yoda stroked his chin. "I see, I see. Into my hand, drop the ball." Yaro released the ball and it fell into Yoda's open hand. Yoda stared at him hard, and Yaro could have sworn he could see into his very soul. Finally, the Jedi Master tore his gaze away from the boy and began to walk out of the room. When he reached the doorway, he turned his head around and gestured for Yaddle and Yaro to follow. The two teens walked quickly behind him out into the hall.  
  
"Discuss about you, to the Council I will. Yaddle, show our friend around." Yoda walked off the hall, leaving the two alone.  
  
*****  
  
Yoda walked slowly down the hall, deep in thought. Could this boy possibly be Yosho's son? The fact the boys shared the same name could or could not be coincidence. He shook his head slowly, remembering the young man he had adopted as a son after his father, a very good friend of Yoda, had died. Yosho's father's last words had begged Yoda to take his son and train him as a Jedi.  
  
Once he had been trained, Yosho had been one of the strongest and wisest Jedi the Order had ever seen. He had even sat on the High Council alongside Yoda. Yoda himself had had a very strong relationship with the young man. He had even donated blood after Yosho had gotten tangled up in a horrible battle and had lost most of his own.  
  
But then Yosho had fallen in deep love with a female of their species. He had loved the woman enough to leave the Jedi Order behind and marry her. They had eventually had a small son, having his father's hair and a blend of his parent's eyes. Yosho had chuckled that he looked like Yoda, since he did have Yoda's blood in him. The boy had had Jedi abilities like his father, and so he was trained by Yoda while Yosho proudly watched on from the side lines.  
  
But tragedy had struck when the small family went to a small, deserted, tropical forest of a planet with only a very primitive but advancing race. For reasons unknown, a large group of the locals had ganged up on the family and, despite how strong Yosho was, murdered them all brutally.  
  
Yoda sighed. He had felt the death of Yosho and his wife halfway across the galaxy, but no one had found the son, now a young teen at 200. After searching for almost a full year, even Yoda had given up hope that his grandson had survived. Everyone eventually forgot about the child as Yosho's life-story faded into legend among the Jedi.  
  
Yoda stopped in mid-step. He had never felt the boy die, was it possible Yaro could be...He quickened his step, rushing as fast as he could to the Council Room.  
  
*****  
  
"And these are the Jedi Archives," Yaddle said to a fascinated Yaro. She had been showing most of the Temple to him for almost an hour now. "Anything and everything that has ever existed are in these files for us to use."  
  
"That's awesome!" Yaro was stunned by the size of the Archives. They were bigger than any library he had ever seen in his entire life!  
  
"Oh! That reminds me," Yaddle said as she pulled a few scrolls out of her pockets. "I was going to read these in my room, but well..."  
  
"Why don't you read them now," Yaro suggested. "That's what a library is for, reading, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, guess so."  
  
The pair found a table and sat down. Yaddle spread out her texts, and began to read silently. Yaro sat alongside, patiently watching Jedi walk past. Becoming bored after an hour or so, Yaro said quietly as of not to disturb other readers, "Yaddle? Are you done yet?"  
  
She looked up at him, a quizzical expression on her face. "Nope." She turned her attention back to the scroll.  
  
"Ugh!" Yaro flung his hands up in air and laid his face down on the table. Yaddle chuckled softly. She has such a nice laugh, thought Yaro. Makes me think of a gentle rain shower...  
  
Yaddle put aside the scroll, and unrolled another. Holograms of twelve people of different species appeared. "Here, let me show you the current Jedi Council members."  
  
"The who?"  
  
"The Jedi Council. If you want to be a Jedi, they are the ones who decide you can or not. They lead the Jedi with their strength and wise decisions," Her voice was full of awe and admiration. "Anyway, here's Yoda, you know him of course. Then there's Polvin Kut, my Master," She pointed to the hologram of a tall, pale Human in dusty brown robes and black pants. "I'm his Padawan, or apprentice. He's wonderful. He's my closest friend." From the tone of her voice, Yaro could tell she admired him greatly.  
  
She showed him the other ten Jedi Masters, explaining their specialties, species, and personalities. Yaro paid close attention; these were the people he'd have to convince to let Yoda or some other Jedi train him. If they didn't...he shuddered at the thought of returning to the unforgiving streets.  
  
Just then, Yoda appeared, floating on a small chair. Yaddle instantly hopped up, and Yaro followed suit. "Yaro, Yaddle, come with me." The Jedi Master turned back around, hovering up a flight of stairs. The two teens ran up the stairs after him till Yoda stopped in front of a door. The chair floated down to the ground, allowing Yoda to step off and walk up to the door.  
  
The door swooshed open, revealing a circular room. Eleven Jedi of all different species, colors, heights, and clothes filled the seats. One small one was obviously Yoda's. The old Jedi hopped up into his respectful seat alongside his Council members. Yaro began to look at the faces as he and Yaddle walked slowly inside to stand in the center circle. Plecu Wanstru , Adrodo Vemor, Raltar Ascarr, Aurentia Zelski, Chaoso Tomlasi, Polvin Kut, Hismonia Risho, Yoda, Igena Tepril, Gibral Misclel, Ternus Diano, Balkan Xandris. The names he had forced himself to memorize surged through his head like a waterfall. He looked to Polvin Kut, Yoda, and Hismonia Risho, a light brown Twi'lek with darker brown spots dressed in a flowing blue dress and red sash.  
  
According to Yaddle, these three were the ones he needed to convince. He had Yoda on his side (at least he thought so), so he had a good chance.  
  
"So," Adrodo Vemor, a small-set human with tan skin, said. "Master Yoda, you think this boy is Yosho's son?"  
  
Yoda nodded slowly, and then turned his gaze to Yaro. Yosho? Who's that guy? Yaro wondered. Somehow, that name sounded familiar, but he just couldn't place it. Its answer drifted in front of him like a string, and when he reached out for it, it was tugged away then placed back in front of him.  
  
"Believe this boy should be trained, I do," Yoda said. "Tested to prove it, he should." Tests? Yaro swallowed.  
  
Polvin Kut looked at Yaddle, his deep brown eyes sharp and bright. "Young Padawan, please leave us," His voice was soft, but it had an air to it that made you pay immediate attention to him. Yaddle bowed slightly and left without a word to Yaro. But out of the corner of his eye, Yaro saw her give him a hopeful look as the door closed behind her.  
  
Yaro suddenly felt extremely nervous and tense; his skin was rippling with goosebumps. Without Yaddle there to reassure him, the room had suddenly gone as cold as Coruscant at night without proper shelter. Though he tried to stop it, Yaro had a violent shiver of fear and loneliness.  
  
Suddenly, Hismonia's eyes widened. Her lekku twitched. She was fully aware of his worried mind. "Are you frightened, uh..."  
  
"Yaro, Master," replied a startled Yaro. They could read minds, like him!? "And, yeah, kind of." To say 'Master' to a woman didn't sound right, but he hadn't heard Yaddle or anyone else call her 'Mistress', so he stuck with it in hopes he wasn't being rude. He couldn't afford such a mistake.  
  
Plecu Wanstru, a Rodian in dark green robes to match his emerald skin, said in Huttese, "Frightened of what?"  
  
Yaro wasn't sure how to how to answer that one. No one had asked him that kind of question before. "I'm...not really sure. I guess I'm scared of failing."  
  
Chaoso Tomlasi, a male Togruta with brilliantly-colored lekku and dark, scarlet robes tied by a white sash, questioned this time. "Why do you fear failure?"  
  
Yaro shrugged, rubbing his upper arm slightly. "I guess because it makes people think you're not worth being bothered with, that you can not succeed. And you feel that way about yourself also."  
  
All the Jedi nodded slightly, and Yaro began to feel less tense; he had the feeling of being surrounded by old friends and family, whom he had not seen in a very long time but the sensation of belonging with them still remained. They asked him questions about his life, though from the way they asked the questions, Yaro expected they could even see into his memories and were simply testing how he would answer.  
  
Hismonia leaned forward. Her dark brown eyes were full of curiosity of the boy. "Would you mind taking a small test?"  
  
~Ooh, this was a little longer than the first chapter. Well, go to Chapter 3! *cracks whip* NOW!! 


	3. Part 3

Reflection Saga: Part 3 Hm, tests, eh? Got a #2 pencil anybody? Oh, and I'd just like to say this. I do NOT own Star Wars. And thank the heavens I don't, cause if I did, it'd be a huge joke, and Yoda would probably be purple. This is why George Lucas the All-Imaginative owns it, not me. Also, I am making absolutely no money off of this, even though I need it. I'm just writing this because if I didn't, I'd go insane, track Lucas down, and demand that he write if for me. And George Lucas has done nothing to deserve such agony. ^^' BUT YARO IS MINE! If you take him to your fic, I will kick your original- character-stealing buttocks with my lightsaber, got it?! Good! Now go read!  
  
Hismonia reached behind her seat, pulling out a helmet and a small metallic ball. Holding the helmet out to Yaro, she said, "Take it, and put it on."  
  
Obediently, Yaro slid the helmet onto his head. It blocked out all sight and smell; it was so big it covered his sharp nose. "Now what?"  
  
"Hold out your hand again." Her voice was almost muted out by the thickness of the helmet.  
  
Yaro did as he was told. A small, metal object was put into his open hand. Curious, he inspected it by rubbing his fingers along it, feeling its smooth and tubular shape. Not able to place what it was, he asked, "What is it?"  
  
"My lightsaber."  
  
Yaro jumped slightly. A lightsaber? He had a sudden recollection of Yaddle telling him how deadly a lightsaber could be when placed in the wrong hands. "What-What do I do with it, Master?"  
  
"Activate it. There's a small button on the side; feel along its side and you'll find it."  
  
After a few seconds of probing, Yaro did find a tiny knob on the side. He pushed it and heard a snap-hiss even through the helmet as the blade came into existence. "Now what?" He asked again.  
  
"Now the test begins."  
  
Suddenly, Yaro's senses screamed in his head, Left! Turn left, you're being attacked! Yaro swiveled on his left foot, gripped the lightsaber in a two-handed clutch and held it downwards, blocking a small laser fire from the round remote hanging in the air.  
  
Higher! He raised the lightsaber over his head, hindering a second laser-fire. He repeated this almost twenty times, dodging and stopping fire repeatedly as he listened to his senses.  
  
"Stop," Polvin Kut's voice cut through the muted helmet. Yaro turned the weapon off and pushed the helmet up over his eyes. He wished he could read his mind they could his; then he'd be able to tell if he had passed or not. Their faces were as blank as a black hole, making it unable to detect any approval or disapproval on their expressions. "How did I do?"  
  
Hismonia smoothed her chin thoughtfully, saying, "Good, very impressive, Yaro. May I have my things back?"  
  
"Oh! Of course!" Yaro quickly gave the helmet and lightsaber back to their owner. He was suddenly jumpy, though he didn't know why. He just wished they would tell him if he had succeeded or not.  
  
Aurentia Zelski, a frail-looking Melodie with pale skin and deep blue robes to match her hair, chuckled softly and said in a gentle tone, "You seem to impatient, young one."  
  
Yaro blushed slightly, realizing he was being immature. He needed to control himself better. "Sorry." Stupid, stupid! He cursed at himself mentally.  
  
Polvin Kut looked at Yaro, his eyes full of curiosity though his face was void of any expression. For some reason, it made the hair on Yaro's neck stand on end. "This boy is rather exceptional, for someone who's never picked up a lightsaber before, or used it." He turned his gaze to Yoda and Hismonia. "I believe he should be trained."  
  
Yoda nodded. "Have extraordinary talents, he does." But he shook his head sadly, and said, "But far too old, he is. Too old to be trained."  
  
Yaro's shoulders slumped. Oh no...He thought dejectedly. His mind began to panic at the thought of returning to the streets, to stealing and begging just to feed him and the children he could barely care for. Just because I'm too old, they're turning me away. I can't go back out there, I just can't! His body began to tremble, and he tried with all his might to stop himself. Though the years of living homeless had toughened him, he almost felt at the verge of tears.  
  
That was actually the reason most gangs turned him away; he was too soft and caring for the mobsters. Even with his talents and abilities, he just wasn't cruel enough to hurt other people; he couldn't bring himself to do it. To the mobs of Coruscant, he was as worthless as a droid without its wires. And now, in Yaro's terrified, young eyes, the Jedi Council he had placed his future in had turned into another mob, ready to tear his hopes and dreams to shreds in front of his eyes.  
  
Hismonia, sensing the boy's distress, gazed sadly at him and said, "I apologize, Yaro. But you are simply too old to become a Jedi." She sounded like she really meant it, but Yaro wasn't buying it.  
  
Though he tried his best to hide it, Yaro's voice broke the slightest bit as he said, "It's alright. Really." Turning to the door, he said, "Guess I'll go then. Nice to meet you all." The door swooshed open, and Yaro walked out into the hall with his head down. He could feel the Council's stares on his back, and quickened his pace almost to a trot.  
  
Stupid, stupid, stupid! Yaro cursed at himself. You got to overconfident again! See what happens when you trust people?! He jumped when he heard Yaddle say excitedly, "So, who's going to train you?"  
  
Yaro's shoulders slumped. "Nobody, that's who." He kept his eyes away from her face, ashamed.  
  
Her voice sounded confused. "What do you mean?" Then she realized what he was saying. "Oh. Why won't the Council let you be trained?"  
  
"Too old." Yaro rubbed one of his toenails into the floor. His face was scorching with humiliation.  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that," Yaddle said sadly. "I had really been rooting for you, you know."  
  
Yaro brightened just a little bit. "Yeah, I know. Thanks." He held out his hand. "Maybe we'll see each other again, someday?"  
  
She took it, shaking it slowly. "Maybe. I hope so. Definitely."  
  
"Great. We'll meet again, I promise." He let go of her hand, and walked inside an open elevator. As the door shut and the elevator began to descend, Yaro realized it may be a promise he wouldn't be able to keep.  
  
*****  
  
Yaddle sighed sadly. She had so desperately been hoping that Yaro could have been a Jedi. Besides Master Kut, she had no friends, and she had found a comfortable feeling when around the teen. His presence in the Force fascinated him; like a warm, soothing blanket wrapped tightly around her, promising to stay with her.  
  
"Yaddle?"  
  
The young Jedi jumped at the sound of her master's voice. "Master! Oh, I didn't sense you."  
  
"Because your mind is not focused on here and now, my Padawan." Polvin Kut looked at the elevator. "You were thinking of the boy, Yaro."  
  
"Yes Master," Yaddle said quietly. "I had so been hoping that Yaro would be trained and become a Jedi." Her ears drooped slightly, betraying her feelings. "I really liked him; I thought we could have trained together..."  
  
Polvin Kut put a reassuring hand on Yaddle's shoulder. "Do not worry." His grip tightened. "Why don't you go find him, Yaddle?"  
  
Yaddle looked up, surprised. "May I sir?" Her master nodded. She smiled, and raced to the elevator.  
  
When the elevator had sunk out of sight, Polvin Kut smirked, and said, "I'm sure we'll be seeing him again very...very soon."  
  
*****  
  
"I cannot believe that I actually thought that I could be a Jedi!"  
  
Yaro was pacing furiously in the small little area where Yaddle had found him. He kicked the bucket as hard as he could, sending it flying to smash against the wall and got a broken toenail doing so. "OW!" Hopping up and down, he blew on his smarting foot.  
  
He sighed heavily, and looked upwards. Even with the towering buildings and zooming speeders overhead, he could make out the stars and the moons of Coruscant. They shone brightly in the sky, not really caring if Yaro's life was screwed up or not. He sighed for a second time, and flung himself on the ground. "I was so stupid..."  
  
"Heeey, Teeny Greeny! You owe us credits!"  
  
Yaro flinched at the sound of Zischo's voice and his stupid nickname. Zischo was the local Dug, and one of the nastiest thugs Yaro had met that side of Coruscant. Turning slowly around to face Zischo and his gang of a dozen mixed Rodians, humans, and Bothans, Yaro said as calmly as he could, "Look, Zischo, we've known each other, what? Ten, twenty years? You know that I'm gonna get those credits! Sooner or later..."  
  
The Dug wasn't buying it. Using his legs, he grabbed hold of Yaro's neck with his feet. "Well, I want them NOW, Teeny. I lost everything on the Pod races, and I want my credits." Zischo tightened his grip, making it more than a little difficult for Yaro to breathe properly. "Where's my money, Greeny?"  
  
"I...I don't have it, but I-"  
  
"What!?" Zischo flung Yaro against the wall so hard the boy saw stars. "You're bug squash now, Teeny..." The gang slowly cornered their prey into a corner of trash, all grinning slyly.  
  
Yaro chuckled nervously. "Zischo, buddy, pal! Just give me a few days, maybe a week, quite possibly a month, actually, to get those credits! I just need a little ti-"  
  
With astonishing reflexes, the Dug hit Yaro hard on the side of his head, sending him flying a few feet into the dirt. "Oh no, not this time, Yaro," Zischo snarled as he hovered over Yaro menacingly. "No more time, no more excuses, no more Teeny Greeny. You're bug squash." He kneed Yaro in the stomach, and it took everything for Yaro not to cry out in pain and fury. A small line of blood from his bitten cheek lined his chin. He knew he couldn't win this kind of fight. Then he thought of his powers, of the Force, and using them against his attackers.  
  
Hate, fear, anger, aggression, the Dark side are they. Go over to the Dark side, and forever will it rule your future, rung out in Yaro's head. Where had he heard that? But he had no time to think of it, when of the Rodians kicked him again, almost as hard as Zischo had. Yaro was filled with all of those things; hate, fear, anger, aggression, but he had to control it. Clear, a Jedi's mind is. Where was he coming up with these things? They faintly reminded him of the elder Jedi Master, Yoda.  
  
Zischo snatched Yaro off of the ground and shook him violently; Yaro was sure he could feel the teeth rattling in his head. "Zischo, stop it!" He cried out, desperate to leave. His body was screaming with pain from internal bleeding and broken bones. Zischo was heavily muscled, and had a habit of using every single one against his foes. And Yaro was one of those foes.  
  
"No way, Teeny. You're not getting out of this mess!" The Dug shook his prey even harder, then abruptly stopped. The moment he was still, Yaro started to see double along with his stars. Man, I'm gonna pass out..., He thought groggily.  
  
"What are you doing to Yaro!?" A furious, familiar voice echoed through the cul-de-sac. Yaro turned his head to the side as best as he could with Zischo's huge foot clamped tightly around his entire neck. Yaddle stood in the alley, an enraged look upon her usually peaceful face. "Yaddle? What are you doing here?" Yaro cried out, regaining his wits. "Why'd you follow me?"  
  
"I'll tell you later." She glanced at the gangsters. "Whose your friends?"  
  
Zischo scoffed, and tossed Yaro into the open arms of one of his goons. "Look here! Greeny's got himself a chick!" Almost twice as tall as Yaddle, the Dug smirked cockily down at the young Jedi. "Lemme guess, they call you Mrs. Teeny Greeny! Ha!" Looking back at Yaro, he said, "You can't save your own wittle butt, so you have your woman do it for ya! You really are pathetic!" He glanced again at Yaddle, and laughed harshly again. "Sorry babe, but Yaro's mine to deal with. He owes me some serious credits, and can't pay me back. I'm just teaching him a little lesson on responsibility with his, or rather my, dough. So just move along, and I won't have to mess up your pretty face."  
  
Yaddle smirked, and Yaro could feel an air of confidence in her. But how, how, was she going to win against a dozen street-raised gangsters with itchy trigger-fingers? He closed his eyes, but his senses were still open to the Force, and he sensed everything going on whether he liked it or not.  
  
Suddenly, Zischo pulled out a 30-inch knife and thrust it right at Yaddle's midsection. Before Yaro could even cry out, Yaddle raised a hand, and said in a clear, firm tone, "Stop!" Yaro could feel her bending the Force to stop the blade and its owner. Only a few inches away from her face, Zischo's hand came to a complete stop. Yaddle clenched her hand slowly into a fist, and the Dug dropped his weapon to the ground.  
  
"Zischo, she's Jedi!" one of the gangsters shrieked, apparently terrified. Zischo whirled angrily back on the mob and said, "Ain't no little girl stopping me, Jedi poodoo or no Jedi poodoo. Get her!" Zischo and four of the thugs leaped straight at Yaddle, but the young teen simply leaped out of the way, using the Force to boost her height. The group met head on. Literally.  
  
If the situation hadn't been so serious, Yaro would have laughed out loud at the tough hooligans clutching their heads with tears streaming down their faces. Four of them ran down the alley, crying out, "We give up!"  
  
Yaddle landed neatly a few feet away, and said, "You shouldn't pick on girls, you know." Then she crouched into a fighting stance, a very serious and determined expression on her face. She simply radiated self- confidence. "They might fight back."  
  
Zischo snarled, and waved for all of the gangsters except the Rodian holding Yaro to rush her. But every punch and kick thrown was dodged or blocked by the small Jedi; not a single blow met her skin. Yaro decided he wanted a little action too, and bit the Rodian's fingers as hard as he could. The alien yelped in pain, and dropped his captive. Yaro scrambled out of the dirt and sprinted right into the middle of the battle. Seeing a Bothan and a two Humans attacking Yaddle from behind, he pushed at the thugs with the Force, and sent the attacker sprawling.  
  
Yaddle turned round, spied the unconscious gangsters, and said, "Thanks."  
  
"No problem. Just repaying a favor, that's all." Yaro placed himself back to back with Yaddle, and said cockily, "After all, it really looked like you needed my help, Ms. Greeny."  
  
Yaddle just laughed, and kicked away a Rodian. "Maybe you don't need training after all!" She extended her hand, and shoved away three out of the group. Now, only Zischo stood.  
  
"So," Yaro said slyly. "Do you really want to teach me a lesson, teach'?"  
  
Obviously terrified, the Dug took off through the alley at top speed, with his remaining teammates on his tail. Yaro had a feeling he didn't owe his 'pal' any money now. Looking at Yaddle, he panted, "That was awesome, wasn't it!"  
  
Yaddle smiled sweetly at him. "Yeah, but I had best get back to the Temple. My Master is probably worried about me by now." Her expression changed to worry. "Are you going to be alright?"  
  
Now that the fight was over, the pain-numbing adrenaline was leaving Yaro and his body ached all over. "Yeah, yeah. I'll just go 'find' some medical supplies. I've taken care of broken bones before, trust me."  
  
"Broken bones! Let me see." She slid the Force over his body, and his skin tickled at her touch. Everything checked out, till Yaddle checked his ribs. "Your ribs are broken, Yaro! And I think there's internal bleeding too." She grabbed his arm and started to pull him with her as she walked back towards the Temple. "You, my friend, need to see a doctor! Come on!"  
  
Strangely hypnotized by her touch, but still in a good deal of pain, Yaro had no intention of refusing.  
  
*****  
  
"Please, sir, step behind the scanner." Surgical droid Three-ninebee pointed to a six-foot high panel. Yaro, now in an immensely uncomfortable hospital gown so big it piled around him and hid his feet, walked through the panel, standing right under it. Yaddle watched behind glass, and waved encouragement at him.  
  
"Stay there for just a second, sir," the droid said in its mechanical, and rather annoying, voice. Just a second turned out to be just a minute as the scanner examined his body.  
  
Finally, Three-ninebee said, "You have three fractured ribs, and heavy internal damage." The droid pressed few buttons, and a bed slid out from the wall. "Please, you'll need some serious rest, or you'll never properly heal, sir."  
  
Yaro shrugged, and hopped onto the bed, getting a very sharp pain for his troubles. He looked around the immense, white room nervously. He'd never been in a hospital like this, and to be frank, he didn't trust the droids farther than he could throw them. "So, how long to I have to stay here?"  
  
"Overnight, sir, and that's if you're lucky. I'd say it will take a good two days for you to heal. Or else, you can take the bacta treatment."  
  
Yaro glanced at the huge, clear tank of bacta fluid, and shuddered violently. He had been in a bacta tank once, after getting caught in a big battle, and he would sooner be frozen in carbonite than do that again. "Okay, I get your point." He allowed the surgical droid to pull up the covers and slip a few pills between his lips. They had a horrible, rancid taste, but Yaro would do anything to avoid bacta immersion.  
  
"Now, sir, please try to sleep. The pills I've given you will..." but the droids voice faded away as his eyes shut against his command and he fell into the first peaceful sleep he had had in quite a while.  
  
*****  
  
He awoke sometime later, still in that itchy robe. But there was an upside: no pain, anywhere. But he was extremely tired; probably just aftereffects from those pills Three-ninebee had given him. Looking around the room for a clock, he wondered how long he had been asleep. Three- ninebee had said that he'd be knocked out for almost two days. Sleep always made time fly by just like that. He hopped off of the bed, and almost screamed out in pain. Apparently Three-ninebee hadn't been lying about resting; he felt like he had jumped into a pair of power couplings while soaking wet.  
  
A new voice sounded out in the infirmary: "Actually, a day and a half later, it is, sleepybones." Yaro was startled, and whirled to face Yoda, who was standing in the doorway with Hismonia and Polvin Kut behind him. From farther down the hall, Yaro could sense Yaddle's presence, but couldn't see her just yet.  
  
Hismonia smiled and said, "Yaddle told us what had happened in the alley, Yaro. From her account, you were very brave and used the Force to your will quite expertly." She eyed the teen curiously, her lekku twitched energetically. "One would think you had been holding back on us during the tests."  
  
Yaro could feel himself blushing slightly. She had hit a nerve; he had been holding back what he really knew. If he had wanted to, he could have destroyed the remote ball with the Force, by wiping it out from the inside, but he had decided against it. After all, Hismonia might have been particular with that remote.  
  
Yoda nodded, and said, "Sensed the battle through the Force, we did. Exceptional skills, you have." He took a deep breath, and said quietly, "Be trained as a Jedi, you will."  
  
At first, Yaro wasn't sure how to react; he wanted to run over to Yoda and hug the bejeezus out of the old Jedi, but he also wanted to sit down and cry out of pure happiness. He shook his head, regained his wits, and said, "That'd be an enormous honor, Master Yoda. Whose Padawan will I be?"  
  
"Mine. I will train you, like I did your father."  
  
Yaro was suddenly confused. "My-My father? He was Jedi?" Did Yoda know who he really was? Maybe that's what they had been talking about during the trials, when Adrodo Vemor had questioned Yoda about Yosho's son. The name tugged at his mind again, but he still couldn't grasp at what it meant.  
  
Hismonia glanced downward at Yoda and said, "I suppose we should leave you two alone, Master Yoda." Looking at Yaro, she said more quietly, "Nice to see you again, Yaro." She and Polvin Kut bowed slightly and left the room, the door closing behind them.  
  
Yoda sighed, and hobbled over to Yaro till the two were almost nose to nose. Yaro could see a savage intensity burning behind those yellow eyes, and yet there was also a deep, flowing river of peace and understanding there as well. The two combined gave a Yaro a distinct feeling of power. "When to me, Yaddle came, confused I was. Remind me of my grandson, you do, for your presences in the Force are the same." The old Jedi sighed again, and said, "Allow me to start over." Yoda straightened up, folding his wrinkled hands on his stick. "Over 400 years ago, I had a very good friend, a Jedi Master. Known each other since childhood, we had. Had a small son, he did, by an unknown woman who didn't want the child, and left my friend alone with his son."  
  
Yoda lifted up the stick and pressed it lightly against Yaro's chest. "Named Yosho, the babe was. When Yosho was only a toddler, killed his father was. By his side I was when his Padawan brought him dying into this very room. He begged me to care for his son, because he knew he was dying. Promised this I did, and took Yosho as my adopted son and Padawan.  
  
"A strong Jedi Master, Yosho became. Very close to him, I was. Even gave him much of my blood when seriously ill or hurt, he had become. But he was enticed by a woman, like his father before him." Yoda snorted. "Gave up the life of a Jedi he did, became one of the Lost Twenty. But many years later, born to them a son was." Yoda pressed his staff harder against Yaro's chest, the intensity in his yellow eyes now burning to full extent. "A small son, with his father's hair and a combination of the parent's eyes. All of his father's skills, he had. Yosho brought him to me, and for the child to be trained, he asked of me. And train the boy, I did, till he was almost 200."  
  
Yoda shook his head sadly, the fire in his eyes going out, and let the cane slid from Yaro's chest to the floor. His voice was sad, mourning. "But then, when the family went to an uncharted planet with a primitive, savage people, the parents were murdered. Why? Know why, we do not.  
  
"Never found, the young boy was." He stared at Yaro again, the flame back in his eyes, full of excitement and hope. "But after almost three years of searching, the Jedi gave up. The boy's name...was Yaro. Assumed dead, he has been, for 215 years."  
  
Yaro eyes widened to full extent. 217 years? That's how long ago he had awoken, not knowing who or where he was. It just wasn't coincidence that he and the missing boy had the exact same name and description. And hadn't Yoda said that the child had been lost on a jungle planet? Yaro's body shivered at that horrible moment when he had awoken in the rain forest, surrounded by a pack of ferocious animals. He would have surely been killed, if his abilities hadn't exploded and killed all of the predators around him. "So...you think I'm Yaro?"  
  
The wizened Jedi nodded. "No. I know you are Yaro. And to prove it, took a sample of your DNA, we did, and tested it." He pulled out two papers and held them out to Yaro. From what he could see, they were the exact same. Not a single letter or number different from the other.  
  
Yoda's tired expression changed to that of happiness, the first time Yaro had seen him like that. "My grandson, Yaro, you are."  
  
~So, there you have it! PLEASE R&R!!! 


	4. Part 4

Reflection Saga: Part 4 So, it would seem that Yaro and Yoda are related, and Yaro's gonna be trained as a Jedi! Finally, it's getting good! ^^ But first, I'd like to say something I forgot about entirely in the first part: I have NO idea how Yaddle talks. She was only in Episode 1 for a few minutes worth of shots, and doesn't even peep in them. And in Episode 2, she disappears all together. I know she's the same species as Yoda, but, since the backward talking seems to be associated with Yoda and Yoda only, I guessed that she didn't talk like him. So if she does, my bad. If she doesn't...*singsong voice* Neener neener neeeeeener! I'm right, and you're wrong!! :-P  
  
"This is so confusing."  
  
"Yes, yes, it is. But certain of this, the entire Council is. Yaro, you are, and trained as a Jedi you will." Yoda put his hand on Yaro's shoulder, steering him to the now open doorway. "Come, someone wants to see you."  
  
"Uh, Master Yoda?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Can I change? This gown is embarrassing, not to mention itchy!"  
  
Yoda chuckled, and pointed to a small drawer. "Your new clothes, you will find in there. Or, to be more accurate, your father's Padawan clothing. Wait outside, I will." Then he walked outside, and the door closed. Yaro sighed and flung himself onto the floatation bed. "Man! This is all happening so fast...and yet it's so wizard!" He yelled out of pure joy and hopped on the bed. He was actually somebody, not just Yaro! He had an identity, even if he couldn't remember it. But that was a good enough start! And to top it all off, he was becoming a Jedi!  
  
He remembered back at all the times he had looked at the Jedi Temple and wished he could be a Jedi, to rush off to save worlds, lightsaber in one hand, a blaster in the other. And now...  
  
Snapping back to reality, Yaro jumped off the bed, ignoring the pain shooting up his legs, and pulled out the drawer Yoda had indicated. There inside was a white shirt with flowing, sleeves, and pants that were also colorless and baggy, but not to the point where either sleeve or pant legs got in his way. He held them up, stroking them. His father's clothing. Their smell was like spice, making his nose itch.  
  
Once he had put them on, he discovered a deep-red vest, not unlike his own vest, save there were no stains or holes or tattered hems, and this one had a hood. He slid his hand over it; it was so soft and comforting. He pulled it on, straightening it to his form.  
  
Underneath the vest was a leather belt, with a gold, circular buckle in the center. The leather was worn and old, but looked like it would hold up. Yaro slid around his waist and clipped it. A little big, he thought as he wrapped it around his waist twice, but not too bad. He turned to face a mirror, and grinned broadly. He looked good. Except for the fact the belt was two-sizes too big, he looked and felt just like a Jedi. Yaro turned around, inspecting his new clothes, then noticed his hair had been cut. His normally untidy, tangled hair had been cut and pulled back into a small ponytail, while one lock had been twisted into a slender braid, hanging just in front of his right ear.  
  
Just then, he spied something in the back of the drawer, wrapped in a small cloth. Curious, he pulled it out and it unrolled. Yaro gasped.  
  
It was a lightsaber. It wasn't sleek and elegant, like Hismonia's had been, but black-handled and shaped to fit a three-fingered hand only, about twenty inches long. Yaro turned it over on its side and found the button to activate the saber. Holding it out a distance from himself, he pressed the button, and with a sharp snap-hiss, a three-foot long, yellow blade appeared. Yaro rotated it with fascination; his father's lightsaber. Taking it in both hands, he felt like he could suddenly do anything, that nothing in the entire galaxy, no, the universe, could stop him now.  
  
He shook his head. "What a stupid thought. Everything and everyone is overcome by something," He said quietly. Remembering that Yoda was waiting on him, he stuck the handle in his belt and rushed out the door. He found Yoda out in the hall, still patiently waiting. "I'm-I'm sorry, Master."  
  
Yoda didn't seem to notice Yaro's apology; he simple started to walk down the hall, heading to the Archives. Yaro quickly followed, careful not to go in front of the old Jedi, keeping his steps in time with his grandfather's.  
  
After walking down a few flights of stairs and corridors, they arrived in a large, open area, and Yaro took a second to take it in. Ten- foot, golden statues of past and legendary Jedi adorned the feet of the stairs. The dark blue carpet was soft beneath Yaro's scarred and battered feet.  
  
Yaro then realized that he had lost Yoda, who had walked into a small, door-less room. From what he could sense, there were other presences much like his inside the room. He hurried to catch up, but slowed down once Yoda stopped in the center of the room. "Younglings, a new student, we have."  
  
That was when Yaro noticed the assorted teens, about ten up to twelve, of all different species and genders standing in the back. All of them had a helmet on their head and lightsaber in hand. By each Padawan, a remote floated in the air.  
  
Though he looked around the room twice, Yaro was disappointed to find that Yaddle wasn't there. He had really been hoping for a familiar face in the group.  
  
"Hello!" all the students said cheerfully and Yaro waved back. "What's your name?" a young Sullustan girl with large, black eyes, curly blonde hair, and dark brown robes said in a loud voice, earning a scowl and nudges in the side from the female Togruta and male Vurk on either side of her.  
  
Yaro tried his best not to sound tense. "I'm Yaro." Almost as soon as he said his name, whispers began to echo through the chamber. Yaro grinned. It would seem that Yoda and Yaddle aren't the only ones who know about my past! He thought to himself. He was practically a celebrity!  
  
Yoda had to tap his cane on the ground a few times to get attention focused back on him. When all was quiet, he pointed to a small space on the floor. "Stand there, Yaro. Find your lightsaber did you?"  
  
Yaro pulled it out of his belt. "Yep." He walked over and stood in the spot that Yoda had indicated, on the left side of the Vurk boy. "What are we doing?"  
  
"Patience, patience." Yoda walked over to a small box, and pulled out a second helmet much like the one Hismonia had Yaro use during his tests. "Put it on. Know now what we will be doing?"  
  
Yaro took the helmet and set it on his head. "Uh-huh. Just like before, right?"  
  
"Yes." Yoda tapped his stick on the ground again. "Now, helmets down, lightsabers activated."  
  
Yaro and all of the other students pulled their helmets down over their eyes and turned on their lightsabers. The humming of the energy blades filled the room, making Yaro's tickle like mad. But he didn't dare reach up to scratch it; with the helmet on, he could stab somebody by complete accident and not even know it.  
  
"Clear your minds," came Yoda's voice from outside the helmet. "Feel the Force around you. On the remote alone, focus." Yaro had the distinct feeling he was speaking mainly to him, so he paid special attention to the old Jedi's words.  
  
Up! Raise your lightsaber, the Force told him. Immediately, Yaro raised the lightsaber over his head, blocking a small laser bolt. He could sense the other students doing the same as he blocked every laser fire that came his way. He wondered if he-  
  
"Ow!" A remote had shot him in the wrist and he almost dropped his lightsaber. The female Sullustan giggled again, and then stopped abruptly, focusing instead on her remote.  
  
"Clear your mind!" Yoda said sharply, and this time Yaro knew he was speaking to him. Again, he cleared his mind of all thought, focusing on the remote he knew hovered somewhere hovering around his head. He then caught sight of his remote jerking upwards through the Force, ready to fire down at him again. Not this time! Two seconds before the remote fired, Yaro lowered his lightsaber, stopping the little laser from hitting his knee. I'm getting good...he thought smugly as he stopped two more of the lasers.  
  
"OW!"  
  
*****  
  
"Shut off your lightsabers, younglings. Done, we are, for today."  
  
Yaro pushed the button on his lightsaber, deactivating it, and pushed his helmet up. All the students around him did the same, putting the lightsabers in their belts or pockets. He rubbed sorely at the smarting marks on his knees and upper arms. Okay, maybe I need a little practice.  
  
Yoda pointed to the door and said, "Go eat, then return to this room. Master Zelski will instruct you afterwards."  
  
All the Padawans gave a cry for joy, bowed slightly to Yoda, then walked swiftly out the room and down the hall. Yaro tagged along in the back, realizing he was heading right for the chef's galley. He wondered if the chef was still upset and really had a lightsaber among those cooking utensils in his pockets. He gulped.  
  
"Hello Yaro! How are you?" The Sullustan girl, along with the Vurk and Togruta that had nudged her earlier, had slowed down to match Yaro's speed.  
  
"I'm fine. Who are you guys?"  
  
The Sullustan put her hand on her chest and said, "I'm Ilene."  
  
The Togruta, in flowing, dusty-brown robes that covered up her feet and dark auburn pants and shirt, said in a soft, but demanding voice, "And I'm Trixis." Pointing to the Vurk, who had blue skin, and a scarlet shirt sticking out from under his belt and black pants tucked into knee-high, leather boots, Trixis said, "And he's-"  
  
"I think I can say my own name, Trixis," interrupted the Vurk, emphasizing on the Togruta's name. Looking back at Yaro, he held out his hand and said, "My name is Fibrilatora, but everybody calls me Fibril for short. Nice to meet ya."  
  
Yaro took Fibril's hand and gripped it easily, because the Vurk also had three fingers, though not clawed and much more longer-fingered than his. "Nice to meet you guys too."  
  
Ilene leaned in to Yaro's ear (she was almost a meter tall while Yaro was only .70 of a meter) and said, "Is it true you're Yosho's son?"  
  
Yaro nodded. "Yeah, but I can't remember anything."  
  
"That's not good."  
  
"Yeah." Yaro looked in front of him at the other students heading down the hall. "Uh, where are we going?"  
  
Fibril pointed down the hall. "We're having lunch, in the Padawan's Hall. That's where all the Padawans eat, in case ya don't know. I can't remember what we're having today..." He turned his head to Ilene and Trixis. "Can you?"  
  
Trixis nodded. "Sure I do; we're having hot sandwiches with cheese, roast beef, and duck meat in them. Uh, let's see, we're also gonna have that spicy green fruit, and some sugar cake for dessert, I think."  
  
Yaro's mouth began to water. "That's-that's lunch!?" Sounded more like a buffet from the heavens to him.  
  
Ilene shrugged. "Yeah, it's not much, but-"  
  
"That sounds delicious!" Yaro quickened his pace until he was almost running. Ilene, Trixis and Fibril had trouble keeping up with him, and he was getting stares from other Padawans.  
  
Fibril grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. "Hey, hey! This isn't a race, ya know! Why the rush?"  
  
Yaro blushed with embarrassment. "I've never had hot food before! It was always cold when I got it."  
  
Now it was Fibril's turn to look embarrassed. "Oh sorry. Forgot how Yaddle found you..." All three fell silent.  
  
Shrugging, Yaro said, "It's okay. I'm used to those kinda reactions anyhow."  
  
The group came out into a huge hall lined with dozens and dozens of round tables and chairs that could be adjusted for size and height of the sitter. Yaro was quite grateful for that; he had quite often sat on a box on top of a seat just to see over a counter at some restaurants, and it was very annoying. In front of each seat, there was a plate of assorted food and two glasses with juice and milk.  
  
Ilene grabbed his hand in hers and said, "Come on, let's go find a seat!"  
  
"Just a sec, I want to see if I can find Yaddle."  
  
Trixis scoffed. "Yaddle's always in the same spot." He pointed to a small, round table in the corner with only a few seats. Sure enough, there was Yaddle. She was barely touching her food, but paying full attention on the scroll in front of her. "She has sat there, every day of every week of every month, for as long as I can remember. No one else sits with her, and she likes it that way."  
  
"Why?" He couldn't understand why someone would want to eat alone, when surrounded by such nice people.  
  
"Dunno," Fibril said. "She's always reading and studying stuff in the books and scrolls. When she isn't with her Master or in the Archives, that's where you'll find her."  
  
"Well, let's sit with her." He headed over to the table, waving to get Yaddle's attention. His new friends hesitated, and then followed him. When they were about five feet away from the table, Yaddle finally looked up and waved cheerfully at Yaro. Then her expression changed to worry and shock.  
  
"YOU!"  
  
"Huh?" Before he could turn around, Yaro was picked up off of the ground by a massive, chubby hand, and lifted into the face of...the chef. "Oh sithspawn," Yaro muttered under his breath.  
  
"You're mighty brave to come back here, laddie!" The cook waved a wooden spatula like a weapon in the air angrily, and Yaro could sense a lot of fury coming from the man's presence. Oh, crud. How am I gonna get out of this one? "Now I'm gonna teach you to mess with me food!" Now all of the Padawans were staring at the confrontation; a few of the younger ones giggled at the sight of tiny Yaro dangling almost five feet off of the ground from his two-sizes-too-big belt.  
  
"Chef Flowers!" Polvin Kut's voice rang out across the hall. Yaro had never been so thankful to hear that voice as he was then. "Put that Padawan down, what were planning to do with him?"  
  
Chef Flowers stopped waving the ladle but didn't place Yaro back on the ground. "This little snipe stole me food a few days 'fore, 'member Master Kut?" Looking Yaro eye to piggy eye, he said, "Grandson of Yoda, or no grandson of Yoda, he ought to be punished!"  
  
"Yes, yes, I heard about Yaro's...escapade." The Jedi Master looked at Yaro and said sternly, "But I am sure that he is sorry, Flowers. Now please, put him down and allow him to apologize." The pudgy cook looked like he didn't think of that as discipline, but nevertheless, he set Yaro back on his feet.  
  
"Now apologize for your actions, Yaro. And promise Chef Flowers that you will not pull something like that again."  
  
Yaro looked nervously up at the man, feeling even smaller than usual, and said, "I apologize, Chef Flowers. I promise I won't do it again." Then he smiled crookedly. "And if I do, I promise you can chase me up and down the Jedi Temple with that spatula of yours."  
  
At first, Flowers looked offended, but then he guffawed. He bent down and gripped Yaro's whole arm in his hand, shaking it wholeheartedly. "That's a deal, laddie! Ha! I like a Jedi with a sense of humor!"  
  
Polvin Kut left the Hall smiling, and Flowers went back to his cooking. As soon as both adults were gone, the whole room exploded with gut- wrenching laughter. Yaro was sure his side was splitting in two.  
  
As the laughter, giggles, and guffaws from the other Padawans subsided one by one, Yaro and the others sat down next to Yaddle. Ilene was still giggling as she said, "Whoo! Yaro, I was sure he was gonna beat the stuffing out of ya with that spoon!"  
  
Fibril nodded in agreement. "Yeah, whoever gave him the name 'Flowers' had one sick sense of humor." Punching Yaro lightly on the shoulder, he snickered, "He's usually very nice, sometimes gives us extra snacks. But mess with or insult his cooking...pity the soul who has less than a 10-foot-thick wall made of carbonite between him and Flowers."  
  
"Ya could have told me that earlier!" protested Yaro, gazing at his food. Oh man! I've died and gone to heaven! "Remind me to kiss Flowers for this food! Dig in!" He eagerly bit into his sandwich. The gooey taste of the melted cheese and warmness of the two kinds of meat almost made him cry with happiness. He had his finished and had started on the fruit before his friends were even half way done with their sandwiches.  
  
Yaddle chuckled softly. "I take it you're hungry, Yaro?"  
  
"You can say that again!" Trixis said. "Why don't you just inhale the whole plate while you're at it, Yaro?"  
  
The entire group laughed, and before long, a conversation had started. Yaro was no longer lonely and uncomfortable, but surrounded by friends. It filled him with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Sounded corny, but it did. For the first time since he could remember, he truly felt wanted...needed. Yaro smiled. He could get used to this.  
  
~Sorry this one was shorter!! 


	5. Part 5

Reflection Saga: Part 5 Written by: Do I REALLY still have to say it by now!? I seem to be saying less and less...IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS!? O_- Well, I promise that this is going to be longer and much better than the last one. Want to know why? Well, let's just say this is the chapter that I put a PG13 label on. ^-^  
  
*****  
  
"Beep! Time to get up! Beep! Time to get up!"  
  
Yaro fumbled around for his alarm clock, grumbling the whole time about 'them damned annoying droids'. Even after twelve years of rising before the break of dawn to train, he still needed something to get him awake.  
  
"Beep! Time to-" the singsong voice was cut off with a press of a button. Yaro sleepily got dressed, not even fully awake. It was a bad habit he had never been able to shake off.  
  
Yaro no longer wore the clothes or hairstyle of a Padawan; just over two years ago, he had passed his trials and was now a Jedi Knight. His robe, now accompanied by a scarf of the same color, was still crimson and down to his feet. His white tunic stuck out from under his father's belt, which he still wore with great pride. His dusty brown slacks were tight around his hips, but widened at the hems to hide his feet and allow air flow through them to cool him off when needed, but made of a very comfortable and warm material. His lightsaber, a little more battle- damaged, hung from his belt at hand's range for quick activation.  
  
His dark-brown hair, instead of braided and pulled back into a pigtail, was now shoulder length and very thick and straight. He couldn't remember how many times he had been teased by Ilene that he had stolen some poor, innocent baby Wookie's fur and glued it to his skull. At 427, Yaro was older than most and had matured greatly since his tutelage under Yoda, but still had the curious and friendly gleam to his bronze-green eyes and his sarcasm was as witty as ever.  
  
He walked outside of his room, occasionally waving at passing by Jedi. Some Jedi waved cheerfully back, but all Padawans smiled at the presence of the tiny man. It was no secret Yaro loved the presence of children, even though he had never taken a Padawan of his own.  
  
"Good morning, Yaro!" Yaro's ear leaped upward at the sound of an all- too familiar voice. He turned around and, sure enough, there stood Yaddle. She, too, no longer had the look of a nervous and unsure apprentice, but a Jedi who carried herself with flair and confidence. Her red hair bounced along her back as she walked, wild and free like a living thing. Her yellow eyes danced at the sight of him, almost as if they were teasing him. Her white shirt and skirt flowed around her, hiding her feet from sight. Like Yaro, she wore a vest and light scarf, but instead of red, they were a taupe color. A small, thin belt linked by two metal rings circled around her waist.  
  
Only about a year after Yaro became Yoda's Padawan, Polvin Kut and Yaddle had been involved in a violent war on a distant planet, and Polvin Kut had been murdered. Yaddle had been devastated, and had become cheerless, even when she was given the status of Jedi Knight. She was still feeling the effects of not being able to save her Master. But in recent years, she had become head of the Librarian's Assembly of the Archives, and Yaro was finding it harder and harder to drag her from the holocrons, scrolls, and tomes she tended to. She was so much happier, and Yaro was very glad. Seeing her so depressed had devastated him.  
  
"Good morning to you too, Yaddle." He smirked his infamous, lopsided smile. "You'd better get back to the Archives; I think I saw a volume run away."  
  
She smiled right back at him. Oh, how he loved that smile. Made him think of sunshine after nights of endless dark. "Yaro, do you plan on ever acting your age?"  
  
"Hm. Maybe when I'm my grandfather's age, maybe."  
  
Yaddle laughed, and Yaro had a thought of distant chimes. "I didn't think as much. Even after twelve years of knowing you, your actions are still unpredictable as a storm on Yavin 4."  
  
"Well, that's what makes him interesting!" Ilene, Trixis, and Fibril came up from behind the pair, all grinning like children caught pulling a silly prank. Yaro smiled at his best friends lovingly. They hadn't changed one bit, save their looks.  
  
Ilene punched Yaro lightly on the cheek. "'Sides, if we didn't have him around, who would we make fun of when he loses his lightsaber duels?"  
  
When the laughter had subsided, Yaro said fake-angrily, "What do you mean lose? I wipe the floor with your lightsaber-wielding butts every time, and you know it!"  
  
Trixis chuckled softly. "Yeah, yeah, we know! We're just giving you trouble, and you know it, Yaro. No need to get huffy."  
  
Yaro inhaled, making his chest puff out and his ears perk up to their highest. "Who's getting huffy?"  
  
The whole group bust out in laughter again, catching a few stares from the Padawans who weren't used to them yet. Wiping a small tear from her eye, Ilene said, "Well, we'd better be going." She jerked a thumb at Trixis and Fibril. "We have to go to Bakura and settle some kind of trade dispute. Should be back before the week's over." The trio then walked off as Yaddle and Yaro bade them good luck.  
  
After the others had left, the pair walked off to the Archives. Once there, Yaddle became fidgety and excited. "Yaddle? What's eating you?" Yaro asked curiously.  
  
"Come with me; I want to show you something I found." She pulled him towards one of the highest shelves, towing him up the ladder. "But you cannot show anyone."  
  
"Okay! Just show me before the suspension and this height kills me." Yaro had never been a fan of elevations.  
  
Her grin now replaced by a solemn look, Yaddle pulled out a rather old-looking book that had probably seen better centuries. It was covered with inches of dust and grim before it was all wiped away with a wipe of Yaddle's hand. "Get down." Yaro slid down the ladder and allowed Yaddle to get down and sit at a nearby table.  
  
"Look at this; you won't believe it." She opened it, carefully but quickly turned its crisp and crinkled pages. Just as Yaro began to lose interest, she said quietly, "Here!" She pointed to a rather long page, describing Force techniques. "Yeah, so what?"  
  
"Look at this part." She pointed to a smaller, almost blotted out, string of sentences. Sighing, Yaro read it over, mumbling under his breath. "Lessee...forbidden Jedi Arts, yeah, heard of those...moricho...slowly stops bodily functions...from inside...WHOA!" He turned to Yaddle, a bewildered look on his face. "You-You found the forbidden Jedi Art of moricho!?" Moricho, one of the most dangerous techniques a Jedi could use with the Force, was number one on the forbidden Jedi Arts; skills that could only be used in anger and therefore of the Dark Side. Only the Sith had ever used them.  
  
Moricho slowly, but surely, stopped the functions of the major organs of the victim, torturing the person/persons until they died. It was view as a cruel and inhuman death, and no Jedi that had known it hadn't become a Sith.  
  
"Yaddle, you could get in so much trouble for this! Yoda, and Polvin Kut, and Hismonia...yeesh! Do you realize what they would do to you if they found out you had this! You'd be expelled from the Librarian's Assembly, no! The whole Jedi Order!" Grabbing the book from her and dashing up the ladder to put it back, he said, "Let's just leave it there and pretend we never, never ever ever saw it, okay?"  
  
Yaddle suddenly seemed very nervous. "Actually...Yaro..."  
  
Then he realized. "Oh no, you mean..."  
  
"...I don't need that book. I can do the moricho technique."  
  
Yaro about fell off the ladder. As he stepped down it two steps at a time, he said quietly, "Yaddle. Are you telling me you know the most forbidden Jedi Art anyone can think of!?"  
  
She didn't answer him at first, wringing her hands. "Yes," she said finally.  
  
Yaro had never, ever, been so furious at her. But then he realized what would happen if the Council or anybody else found out that she could harness that kind of power... "Come on." He grabbed her by the arm and started to pull her towards her room.  
  
*****  
  
"Yaddle, why didn't you tell me earlier!? You always ask me what I think before you do stuff!" Yaro was pacing the floor of Yaddle's room. She hadn't thought he would panic this badly.  
  
She sat down on her bed, and spread her hands out, trying to make him calm down and understand. "Yaro, listen- I'm never going to use that kind of power to harm someone, and you and I both know it!"  
  
He turned his back to her, shaking his head. "I know, I know..." His voice trailed off, and he sighed. "I'm just worried about you." He turned back around, and Yaddle could see that he truly meant it. "If-If the Council knew that you could use a forbidden Art...Yaddle, I'd never see you again!" His voice began to break. "If I...if I lost you..."  
  
Yaro sat down beside her, taking her hand into his. She could feel his presence burning with distress, concern, yearning, and anxiety through just that single touch. It made her skin crawl with pleasure and fear. When he didn't speak, she whispered softly, "Yaro?"  
  
"I love you, Yaddle. I really do." He looked at her, and Yaddle could see passion and longing in his gaze, blazing like a raging fire that none could tame. He's not lying...she thought. He really...  
  
Then she snapped back to the real world. "Yaro, that's not allowed, and you know it. It's as forbidden as my ability to use moricho."  
  
"But you did it anyway. You taught yourself moricho, against all the dangers and risks you were taking." He smiled softly, sadly. "Why can't I do the same, just to make it even?"  
  
"Because my learning of a forbidden Art only affects me, but if we...love...then we would both be expelled from the Order of the Jedi." She turned her head away, looking down at the floor. "There's just too many risks."  
  
"Risks are fun. Life would certainly be boring without the occasional risks." There was that smile again, the one she had secretly fallen in love with for twelve years. "I think that risks are tests in disguise, really. To see if we can overcome them, and carry on."  
  
"You sound like Yoda."  
  
"He must be rubbing off on me. Spent too much time with the old fart."  
  
She laughed, almost a snort of disbelief. "Oh really? That 'old fart's' the best Jedi you're ever going to find."  
  
Yaro gripped her hand harder, and this time she squeezed back with equal force. "I don't think so. I'm sitting with her." He laughed, and suddenly rushed his life force to meet hers. It was a gesture the two of them had started a long time ago, whenever one or both of them was nervous or afraid. It flowed over her like a great tidal wave, sweeping away all her cares and fears. Playfully, she pushed it back at him just as hard, then allowed her presence to mold with his, swirling and dancing like an intricate dance. All thoughts, worries, and cares slipped from her mind, all that mattered was not letting go...  
  
*****  
  
"Yaro. Yaro, you need to wake up." Yaddle whispered softly in Yaro's ear, causing it to tickle.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
She stroked his arm with a claw, making his skin tingle and rise in goosebumps. "I should get going. It's almost evening already."  
  
"What?" He sat up and looked at the window. Sure enough, the light of sunset mixed with the still dark of night and lights of the planet-city of Coruscant spilled through the glass, giving the room a soft and comfortable feeling. Yaddle was already dressed and walking out the door. "Alright then. I suppose I'll see you later?"  
  
She smiled more broadly than he had ever seen her smile. "Yes. That's a promise." The door closed behind her, leaving Yaro alone. After a few moments, he roused himself and got dressed. He glanced at a nearby clock. It was very late; no one would see him coming out of Yaddle's room. At least he hoped.  
  
Poking his head out of the door, he scanned the hallways for any signs of life. No one in sight, time to go to the library and find my lover, he thought slyly. He creeped and tiptoed down the stairs leading down to the Archives when he felt a sharp tremor of pain and fear in the Force. Before he had time to think of it, it had disappeared as quickly as it came. But he knew it had come from the Archives. Yaddle? He stretched out to her mind, and found a pool of terror and hurt. "Yaddle!" He ran as fast as possible towards the library, fear growing in his heart. He yanked his lightsaber out of his belt; its yellow blade humming madly as he sped towards Yaddle's presence.  
  
Yaro! Yaro, help! He suddenly heard Yaddle cry out for him in his mind. Fully terrified, his blood surging with adrenaline, he raced down the aisles to her presence. As he drew closer, Yaro could feel Yaddle's pain and fear in his body, making him want to cry out. "Yaddle, where are you!" He stopped in a path, hearing Jedi stirring up in the spires of the Temple.  
  
Suddenly, a scream sounded through the library, searing like fire in Yaro's head and echoing off of the walls. A whistling sound suddenly exploded like a clap of thunder in a hurricane resonated shortly after, ringing in Yaro's ears. "Yaddle!" He ran into the center of the Archives and gasped.  
  
Jocasta Nu, a young Padawan learner and librarian assistant, lay in a puddle of her own blood on the floor. Her nose, eyes, and ears were bleeding heavily, pumping out the hot liquid that gave her life with every beat of her heart. Seeing Yaro, she cried out in a thin, hoarse voice, "Behind you, Master Yaro!"  
  
Suddenly, before Yaro even had time to react, a second clap of thunder resounded in the chamber and Yaro fell into darkness, at first consumed by pain and confusion, then felt nothing.  
  
*****  
  
Yaro thrashed wildly in his sleep. He was caught in a dream, or rather a nightmare. Yaddle was in danger; he could sense her fear, anger, and desperate need to escape as if the feelings were his own. No, wait. Something was different. He just didn't feel Yaddle's presence...but a second? It was like a mix of Yaro's and Yaddle's presences of the Force. But what did that mean? Yaddle stood in the middle of a dark pool, scared and alone. She didn't know if he was alive, if he had been killed by whatever was scaring her so badly.  
  
He knew if he could just cry out to her, reach out to touch her, even for just a moment, she would be comforted. But the paralysis of his dream rose up, tying him down to the ground. Suddenly, Yaddle began to fall into the floor, and all her fears gave way to nothing; all of her emotions just disappeared. The second presence also disappeared without a sound. He screamed, but his voice was as silent as death itself. He watched his friend -nay, his love- sink away from him. No, he had to save her, had to find her, help her! Had to-  
  
"Yaro! Yaro, wake up!" Something was shaking him gently but roughly enough to disorient him. The dream vanished into thin air, along with Yaro's chances of finding out why Yaddle was so afraid, and where she was. He gasped out in fear, and looked up into the faces of Trixis, Ilene, and Fibril. He was lying in the infirmary where Yaddle had taken him when they had first met. Jocasta Nu laid three beds down, her face wrapped in bandages.  
  
"Oh, Yaro!" Trixis sounded very relieved, but there was a strain to her voice. Like she had been crying for many hours. "We were all so worried about you! You've been knocked out for four days now, and-"  
  
"Where's Yaddle?" Yaro asked sternly. His head, now that he was awake, almost blinded him with pain He could feel bandages wrapped around his head and taped onto his back, which stung with every breath he took. But he didn't care; all that mattered was that Yaddle was safe, that she wasn't in danger of any kind. Nothing mattered but that she was safe. Nothing.  
  
When no one answered him, he asked again, softly but hard, "Where is Yaddle?" Again, no answer. He searched the eyes of the friends he had known for twelve years. They were hiding something from him; he didn't even have to hunt through their minds to find out. "Where is she?"  
  
Fibril rubbed his hands together nervously. "Yaddle? Oh, I..." His voice trailed off, giving no answer. All three hung their heads as Yaro glared at them. "I will repeat myself only one more time," Yaro said almost threateningly. "Where...is...Ya-"  
  
"Here, Yaddle is not." Yoda suddenly appeared in the doorway. His face was very grave, filled with sorrow and pain. "Kidnapped, Yaddle has been."  
  
*****  
  
~Sorry to leave ya hanging!! :'( Again, please R&R!! 


	6. Part 6

Reflection Saga: Part 6 I'm not even gonna bother to put stuff anymore...  
  
*****  
  
Yaro stared at his elderly grandfather, unable to absorb what he had just said. "What do you mean Yaddle's been kidnapped?"  
  
Yoda leaned heavily on his stick, frowning deeply. "Exactly what I mean, you know!" His angry tone died away and, for the first time, Yoda suddenly looked his age. "When you and Jocasta Nu were attacked, came and stole Yaddle someone did. But why, and how, we do not know." He looked hard at Yaro, his gaze seeming to pierce through Yaro's skin. "Know do you, why someone would want to take Yaddle?"  
  
Yaro didn't answer. He was still taking in the fact he had been unable to protect the person he loved more than life itself. Regaining himself, he murmured softly, "Yaddle knows how to use the forbidden Jedi Art of moricho technique, Master."  
  
Despite himself, Yoda was clearly stunned. But he quickly overcame it, speaking softly to Yaro, "A forbidden Art, Yaddle learned? How?"  
  
"A book she found." Yaro looked at the ground. "I only just found out yesterday...or rather five days ago."  
  
Yoda frowned. "Solved, the first piece of the puzzle has been. Know now we do why the intruder took Yaddle."  
  
Yaro's voice exploded; he couldn't stand being quiet anymore. "But who took her? How did he get in without any of us sensing it at all? Why did he injure Jocasta Nu? Can she speak yet? Maybe she saw whoever or whatever took-"  
  
"Quiet!" Yoda demanded. Yaro fell silent. Besides, he had voiced most of his questions. "Most of those questions, answer we cannot. But soon young Jocasta Nu will be well enough to speak of her ordeal." He looked over at the young Padawan girl. "The pressure bomb that the kidnapper used to harm you and her...much damage it did to her hearing. Never again will it be normal."  
  
Yaro became frustrated all over again; only Jocasta Nu could tell him what or who had taken Yaddle, and she was unconscious! He groaned in anger and frustration.  
  
Ilene sighed. "I'm so sorry, Yaro. But Yaddle...no one can sense her presence in the Force...it's possible she's-"  
  
"NO!" Yaro practically screamed, startling everyone around him and awakening Jocasta Nu. "Yaddle is not dead, I know it!" He was panting now. "When I was asleep, I saw her, I felt her! I don't know how, but she's alive!"  
  
Fibril gazed sadly, compassionately at his small friend. "But if even Yoda and Hismonia can't sense her, why can you?"  
  
"I don't know! Maybe it's because..." Yaro cut himself off and fell silent. He didn't want to tell them about his relationship with Yaddle.  
  
But Yoda didn't allow him to be so. "Because what, Yaro? What have you to tell us?"  
  
"I...I have...a special bond...with Yaddle...I guess you could say." His face began to burn redder than even Trixis'. For almost a full minute, none of the Jedi said a word. Even Yoda had been caught off guard. Yaro bowed his head in embarrassment, like a child caught doing something he really shouldn't have been doing in the first place. But in a way, he was glad he had finally come out with the truth, instead of sneaking around like a snake on the ground.  
  
"I see..." Yoda finally murmured, shattering the silence. "More and more complex, this puzzle is becoming." He then noticed that Jocasta Nu, who had been sitting silently in her hospital bed, had awakened. "Ah, Jocasta Nu. Tell us can you of what you saw?"  
  
Jocasta Nu didn't answer, and she seemed to be straining to hear. She looked very confused, then caught sight of Yaro, and began to sob. "I'm so sorry, Master Yaro! I tried to save Yaddle, I truly did!" She sniffled and said, "I heard Yaddle crying out, so I tried to find her. Some man, a tall Human, a horrible man in all black and filled with the Dark Side, was fighting her, but it looked like he wasn't trying to hurt her, just capture her! I pulled out my lightsaber...but the man, that horrible man, he hit her and she fell, and I tried to fight him, but he threw a pressure bomb at me! My eyes, and my ears, and my nose were bleeding so badly! I think the man picked up Yaddle, and then he began to run away, but then I guess he heard you or saw you; I remember someone shouting but it was muffled. He stopped and hid behind a bookcase. Then you came in, and I tried to warn you, Master Yaro! But it was too late..." Then she whistled loudly and clapped her hands together very loudly, imitating the pressure bomb. "You fell down, Master Yaro, and then I...I fainted." She covered her bruised and bandaged face in her hands, sobbing loudly. "I cannot hear! I cannot hear..."  
  
Yaro instantly felt pity for the young Padawan. Slipping off of his bed, he walked over (though with great pain), and pulled Jocasta Nu's hands from her face. "I forgive you, young Padawan." The young teen only sniffled, still clearly upset. "I forgive you, Jocasta Nu," He repeated slowly. "Do you understand?"  
  
Jocasta Nu snuffled again, wiping at her nose and eyes with the edge of her hospital gown. She nodded slowly, and Yaro patted her hand. But in truth, he hated her for not saving Yaddle. He hated everyone who hadn't been there to save the woman he loved. And most of all, he hated himself. Hated every single atom that made up his being.  
  
But he didn't say this to the distressed girl. "Now go back to sleep, Padawan. You need to heal," He cooed softly, stroking Jocasta Nu's hand until she finally lied back down and fell asleep.  
  
"You should do the same, Yaro." Fibril put a three-fingered hand on his friend's shoulder. "You were very close to that pressure bomb, and lost a lot of blood. You need all the rest you can get."  
  
Yaro spun around. "I can't! I have to get ready, pack some things, get my lightsaber, and go find Yaddle!" His voice began to rise until it was almost shrill with returning panic for Yaddle. "I just can't lie around while she's somewhere alone, afraid, and probably hurt! I just can't!"  
  
"And in an exhausted and wounded state, you go after her, worse off then Yaddle you will be," Yoda said in a stern voice. He reached behind him, picking up a small tray of cookies and herbal tea. "From Chef Flowers. Most distressed about you, he was."  
  
Yaro didn't care if they had come from Flowers or a Sith Lord; he had to go find Yaddle. But then his stomach rumbled, reminding him he hadn't eaten for close to five days. "I suppose you're right, grandfather." He scrambled back into his bed, hunger taking over his senses. Yoda gave him the tray and said, "Allow you to rest and recover, we will." Then the Jedi Master walked out the door, with Fibril, Ilene, and Trixis right behind him. Once they had left, Yaro began to nip experimentally on one of the cookies, and smiled. Like all of Flowers' foods, they tasted wonderful. He put the whole thing in his mouth, and drank some of the herbal tea.  
  
Hm. Spice, he thought sluggishly. Suddenly, almost against his will, he yawned. Ignoring it, he picked up a second cookie and ate it, munching thoughtfully. But he just couldn't keep his thoughts straight. He then noticed how soft and warm the infirmary bed was. So comforting. Maybe...maybe I'll just take a nap...yeah, he thought as he laid his head down on the fluffy pillows. Then I'll find Yaddle...  
  
*****  
  
"Ohhh. Were...where am I?" Yaddle rubbed the back of her head. Her whole body ached, like she had been chewed up and spit out by a nexu. A dozen times. A swelling bump had risen out of her hair, and it was very sensitive. "What is going on?" Then she suddenly remembered what had happened; she had been attacked in the library, attacked by a tall, pale man in all black. He had literally glowed with the Dark Side. Just the memory made Yaddle tremble in fear.  
  
Picking herself up off of the floor, she looked around. At first, she thought her eyes were still closed; it was so dark. There was not even a shred of light anywhere in the entire room. Stretching out her hands, Yaddle found a wall. She searched it up and down, but found no cracks to indicate a door, so she walked sideways with her hands sliding up and down the walls. A few moments later, Yaddle felt her hands skip over a slight groove. A door?  
  
The door opened, blasting Yaddle with light. Although pretty much blinded, Yaddle instantly went into a position ideal for both attacking and defending, reaching for her lightsaber. But it wasn't there. Someone had taken her lightsaber! How could she defend herself?  
  
A few seconds later, a tall man clad totally in an ebony robe walked, almost slide, into the room. Yaddle could see the handle of her lightsaber hooked onto his black belt. A hood covered the man's entire face, save his mouth. Even if Yaddle hadn't been Jedi, she would have instantly known he was evil. Yes, this was most definitely the man who had assaulted her.  
  
Behind her kidnapper was a young boy, barely over the age of four or five. He had a chocolate-brown skin color and a skinny frame. Although he bent over with submission, his eyes, an even darker brown than his skin, beamed brightly with life. His head was completely bald, not a single hair to be seen. His tunic was tattered, dirty, and full of holes. The boy had no shoes on, so scabs covered his toes. His fingernails were bitten down and the ones who had avoided that were filled to the brim with dirt and muck. All in all, the child looked like he hadn't taken a bath in his entire life. He simply radiated with one whose spirit had been broken a long time ago, yet Yaddle sensed something still alive in his young mind. It was very hard not to pity him.  
  
"Who are you, why did you bring me here?" Yaddle demanded in a harsh tone. But the man only laughed, a harsh and cold sound that made the small boy behind him cringe a little more. Yaddle had to struggle not to do the same.  
  
"What, you don't remember me, Yaddle? I thought after a good four days of rest and relaxation would have opened your senses more. I am truly hurt." He leaned forward, and Yaddle took a few steps back. The man's thin, pale lips curled into a cruel smile. "Take a closer look, why don't you?"  
  
"I don't know you. Who are you?" Yaddle repeated, becoming agitated. But for some reason, that voice...that voice reminded her of someone, but she couldn't place who.  
  
"Don't remember me...my young Padawan? Maybe this will help." The man pulled back his hood, and Yaddle gasped out in shock and horror.  
  
It was her old Jedi Master, Polvin Kut. No! That was impossible! And yet, there he was, standing right in front of her. "M-M-Master Polvin Kut? How can that be!?"  
  
"Oh, I am most definitely not Polvin Kut. I am his clone. The moment he died, I was born, with all of his genes and memories."  
  
"That can't be true! You lie! My Master was a good and honest man, and you are obviously everything he is not!"  
  
The clone chuckled. "You are truly an ignorant fool, Yaddle." He leaned in even closer, his brown eyes gleaming with darkness. "My father was a Sith, one of the very last and very strongest Sith Lords there has even been! He was Darth Malice, and I am his son...Darth Sidious."  
  
Yaddle shook her head in disbelief. "No, it can't be...it can't be! You are a liar, the Sith are dead!"  
  
"Oh? Then how do you explain why your Master, my father, wanted to find the ancient and powerful Sith Artifacts?"  
  
"Because he wanted to deystroy them!"  
  
"Wrong again, fool! He wanted to use them for his own purposes, to gain the ultimate power so he could have the Order of the Sith reborn! And he studied the Dark Arts for the exact same reason...which I have inherited. But one evaded him; therefore I do not have it." His eyes shone even brighter with wickedness. "The forbidden Jedi Art of moricho."  
  
Now Yaddle understood everything. "You kidnapped me...because I can use moricho, didn't you?"  
  
"Oh yes. I want you to teach me how to use it, to teach me the final Dark Art that has escaped my grasp for twelve whole years."  
  
"Never! I refuse to be your tool of darkness!" She raised a barrier made of the Force around her, getting ready to fight her way out. And if she died, so be it. So was the life of a Jedi, and Sidious would not have the power of moricho. But suddenly, her barrier shimmered, and then collapsed like sugar in water. "What?" She suddenly felt extremely weak; she could no longer touch, use, or even feel the Force! It was like she had been holding it for so long, then it had been snatched away from her. She felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest.  
  
Sidious waved his finger at her. "Now now, none of that!" He smiled that awful grin again. It made Yaddle's skin crawl. "While you are anywhere near me, your powers do not work! If you teach me the last Dark Art, I will gladly let you go, along with your abilities."  
  
"You're nothing but bantha poodoo."  
  
The Sith just snorted. "Fine. Be that way. You can live in this cell until the end of your days which, for your species, can be a very long time. Until you decide to instruct me on moricho, farewell." He walked outside, his robe swirling as he turned around on his foot. "Boy! Close the door!"  
  
The young boy jumped and quickly began to shut the heavy door. Yaddle cried out and ran towards it, but it was too late; it was closed and she could hear the servant-boy locking it several times. She collapsed, weak and afraid.  
  
Hate, fear, anger, aggression. Of the Dark side are they. Yoda's lessons had been burned into her head, but now she no longer cared. Yaddle gave up trying to be calm, and let loose all the rage, pain, hopelessness, and terror she had kept inside of her during her conversation with Sidious.  
  
She groaned and began to sob, stinging tears racing down her face and dripping off of her chin to form small puddles on the floor. She cried out the vilest and horrible curses from all the languages she had learned. She couldn't take it anymore.  
  
Yaddle screamed as loud as her body let her, if not louder. She pounded out of pure despair and fury on the door, making the locks on the outside rattle. Anger fueled her terror. Her sobs echoed throughout the entire room, making her ears ring with her own cries. After a few moments of raging, she stopped, panting for breath.  
  
That was when she noticed the tapping on the wall. It came haltingly, and always sounded the same. Yaddle suddenly realized someone on the other side of the wall, probably another prisoner, was trying to contact her via Morse code. It was clearly saying, 'Who are you, and why are you screaming?'  
  
Kneeling by the spot she heard the patter, she tapped back, 'I am Yaddle, a fellow prisoner. Before I answer your questions, who are you?'  
  
'Smart girl. I am a prisoner like yourself and have been for over 200 years, if not longer. I have had many names over the years, but my personal favorite is Sho.'  
  
'Hello Sho. And to answer your question, I am screaming because...' Yaddle paused. 'Because I am alone, furious, and afraid.'  
  
'Ah. Well, you are no longer alone, Yaddle, so please stop screaming; your fears and anger is giving a splitting headache.'  
  
'How can you tell how I feel?'  
  
'Are you Jedi?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
Pause. 'Then we are different in many ways, but in one way the same.'  
  
It took Yaddle a few moments to figure out what he meant. 'Are you a Jedi Knight, Sho?'  
  
'Yes. Or at least I was.'  
  
'Why did Sidious capture you?'  
  
'Not Sidious; Many years ago, long before you were born, I was a very strong and powerful Jedi Master. I even sat on the Council. I was famous for killing what was thought to be the last Sith Lord, Darth Fury; Polvin Kut's grandsire. Polvin Kut's father hunted me down, slaughtered my wife and son, and imprisoned me.' The tapping ceased, and then returned. 'I have not seen the light of day for nearly 215 years.'  
  
215 years? If Sho had been here since Polvin Kut's sire, how long would Sidious keep her here? Her thoughts were interrupted by Sho's tapping: 'Go to sleep. You'll both need the rest.'  
  
'What do you mean both?'  
  
Sho didn't answer at first. After a few minutes of silence, he pattered back, 'Sidious' powers only stop you from attacking someone or defending yourself. If you are careful and use the Force in small amounts, he cannot sense nor stop it.' He paused again. 'Check yourself over, Yaddle. Good night.' No more taps came from the other hostage.  
  
Yaddle, although confused, began to use the Force to inspect her presence and body. Except for fears, anger, and a few bruises, she seemed fine...until she checked her torso.  
  
There was second presence, much like her own. And yet, it reminded her of Yaro's own aura. How could that be? Then she remembered what had happened in her bedroom, with Yaro, almost five days ago.  
  
"I'm pregnant..." She murmured under her breath. "I'm pregnant with Yaro's child..." Suddenly, she began to panic again. What if Sidious found out she was with child? Would he simply wait for her to give birth, than take it from her and train her child to be a Sith?  
  
Yaddle quickly became defensive of her unborn offspring. "Not while I still live and breathe!" Then she realized she had yelled out, and quieted herself. If she remembered her anatomy right, she would be expecting for about a year. Surely someone would find her by then...wouldn't they? Pushing aside her fears and doubts, she stroked the tiny life inside of her body, cooing softly, "In just a little while, your father, a great Jedi, will come for us, my little one. Soon, Yaro will find us..." She slipped into a comforting sleep, the word "Yaro..." on her lips.  
  
*****  
  
Boy walked silently behind his master in the underground, stone hallway. His special abilities, the ones that made him so sensitive to the Force, had told him every single detail of the Jedi Yaddle's fears. Her screams, both mental and verbal, had struck out at his mind like a whip. But all prisoners did so, so he was quite used to it. But none had been as strong as that; Boy had thought his head would simply explode from the Jedi's moans of despair echoing loudly in his mind. But then she had quieted, her mind settling almost into happiness.  
  
Not thinking, Boy tripped on his Master's robes. When Sidious turned to him, he cried out, "I'm so sorry Master!"  
  
"I forgive you. Now stand up; your clothes have enough dirt in them as it is."  
  
Grateful for his Master's kindness, Boy leaped up. "Master, dare I ask a question?"  
  
"You may."  
  
"The new prisoner, Yaddle. Why is she suddenly happy? Most prisoners would still be screaming, or at least crying..."  
  
Sidious stopped and Boy had to slide to a halt to stop from crashing into him. His master smiled thoughtfully. "Because..." He closed his eyes, and Boy could feel Sidious using the Force to extend out to Yaddle without her knowing it. "Because...oh, how convenient."  
  
"What do you sense, Master?"  
  
Sidious smiled even more broadly. "Yaddle is with child! How surprising, and yet a blessing."  
  
"How is that, my Master?"  
  
Sidious looked down at Boy, smiling fondly. For a split second, Boy thought his master was smiling at him. But no, he was smiling at the thought of Yaddle's unborn child. "When the child is born, I will simply take it from her. If I know mothers and women, she'll do anything to have her baby back..."  
  
"Even instruct you on the last Dark Art!" Boy cried out. Soon, his Master would be all powerful, and bring law and order to the entire galaxy.  
  
"Yes, very good, Boy. And when she does, I will keep the babe anyhow, and train it to be a Sith. Oh yes...the door of opportunity has opened to me."  
  
"You are so fortunate, my Master."  
  
The two had reached Sidious' elaborate chamber. "Go to your room now, Boy. You will find a tub in there. You need a bath, I believe." Sidious walked inside, the door swooshing shut and leaving Boy alone in the hall.  
  
Boy almost cried in happiness. His Master was so kind to him! Almost as kind as his father had been to him. As he walked down to his tiny, rock chamber, Boy thought of his home.  
  
As a little boy, Boy (he couldn't remember his original name) had caught his father's attention with his remarkable abilities. Boy's father had been a Jedi, but when Boy's mother had died, he left the Jedi Order to raise his son alone on an isolated planet called Tyrosis. He had taught him a little about the Force, for Boy's sire had been only a Padawan when he had left the Jedi. Soon, Boy was good enough to pick things up with his mind alone, and communicate with his father over short distances. And that was when Boy had only been two.  
  
But one day, somebody attacked and burned down their home. Boy had been at a nearby friend's house. His father's presence had vanished, leaving him alone and terrified at the age of three. After almost a week of looking for his father, Sidious had found the tiny child in the snow, under a tree. His Master was fascinated with Boy's talents at such a young age, and Boy was in turn awestruck by the power coming from Sidious.  
  
Sidious took him as his servant, and extended Boy's knowledge of the Force. He had become an ideal servant for Sidious, for he could sooth the prisoners and quiet them easier than his Master. Boy tried hard to remember what he had done for his Master to find out, but no memory came to mind.  
  
Once he had reached his room, Boy took off his ragged clothes and slid into the tiny tub full of cold water. Freezing, but refreshing and relaxing as well. Once he had finished, he redressed and curled up on his straw bed, pulling up his sole blanket for warmth. Someday, Boy would become more than just a servant to Master Sidious. Smiling softly, Boy pulled his blanked up to his neck and slept.  
  
*****  
  
Yaro cringed as he walked down the halls leading to the Main Hanger of the Jedi Temple. Every single footstep he took echoed in his ears. A small sound, but the effects of the pressure bomb so near his sensitive ears had not yet worn off. But he no longer cared.  
  
Once he had gotten there, he looked around, spying his ship; a sleek, almost oval shaped starcraft he had dubbed, "Yaro's Playtoy". A few years back, he had received it from a rich Coruscantian family for helping them find their missing son. He knew Jedi were not allowed possession, but the family had insisted and Yaro hadn't wanted to offend them.  
  
It truly was his playtoy; it was near perfect with one cabin with two bunk beds, a second room complete with medical supplies, and a large collection of provisions. It even had hyperdrive capabilities. It was his own little getaway, his escape from every one else. Maybe the reason he loved it so much was because it was forbidden; it was like breaking the rules all over again, like in the old days.  
  
"How are you, Arthree?" Yaro said to the droid that had come with the spaceship. Arthree-Denine, a black mechanical droid with a white lid, chirped at him. It sounded irritated. "Yeah, I know it's late, but we need to sneak out of here without being seen, okay?" He walked through the hatch of Playtoy and walked over to the cockpit, sitting in the padded chair made especially for his form. It was by far his favorite part of the starcraft; he had never found many chairs small or short enough for him to climb into and sit comfortably in. "Let's roll, Arthree!"  
  
Playtoy rumbled to life, and the platform it sat on extended out of the spire of the Temple. Suddenly, Yaro could hear voices behind him. Turning his speaker on, he recognized many of the Jedi (Yoda included) yelling at him to stop. He swatted at the comlink, snapping the button. The comlink still buzzed with the yells of the Jedi and ground crew. "Great. I've been discovered, running off without permission, and my switch is broken!"  
  
Arthree whistled shrilly, a sound Yaro had come to know as a robotic laugh. "Laugh it up, Arthree. We're leaving!" Ignoring the cries of protests of the Jedi behind him, Yaro locked the hatch, strapped on his safety belt, and engaged the controls. He went through the countdown sequence quicker than usual. Arthree's single message scrolled across the message board:  
  
"Activation. Ready for takeoff, Yaro."  
  
Suddenly, the comlink crackled with the sound of the ground crew's controller. "Yaro's Playtoy! Cease your takeoff, or we will be forced to use the tractor beam!"  
  
"Hit it Arthree!" Yaro's Playtoy rose into the clouds of Coruscant, avoiding all traffic as it began to break through the atmosphere.  
  
"Yaro's Playtoy, this is your final warning. We give you to the count of three. One..."  
  
The coldness of the upper atmosphere pierced through the ship. Yaro ignored all of it.  
  
"Two..."  
  
Yellow skies became dark blue, then indigo, then black with faint white dots.  
  
"Three!" Suddenly, the tractor beam grabbed hold of the Playtoy, slowing it down. The starcraft's shields resisted the pull, but Yaro could feel his ship going back down. "Arthree! Engines, full power!"  
  
"Are you sure," appeared on Arthree's message board.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
The Playtoy suddenly surged forward, breaking free of the beam. The comlink's chatter from the ground control ceased to static. Yaro sighed as the stars came out to greet him. Even from space, he could sense Yoda's disappointment. "I'm so sorry, grandfather. But I must follow my instincts... and my heart." He looked out through the cockpit's shield. Somewhere, Yaddle was waiting for him. He didn't know where, but he knew, just knew, that he would find her, even if it took until he was twice Yoda's age. "I'm coming for you, Yaddle!" He cried out as Yaro's Playtoy rushed into hyperspace.  
  
****  
  
~Okay, this was definitely one of my better chapters!! NOW GO READ #7!! 


	7. Part 7

Reflection Saga: Part 7 Heh heh heh! I bet Darth Sidious was an unexpected surprise, neh? *cackles insanely* And it's most definitely not the last to come! Wanna find out more? READ!  
  
*****  
  
Rentha looked lazily around the bar on Tatooine, her cold, black eyes moving along the row like water. Hundreds of different species, including her own race of Twi'lek, were represented. Her lavender skin shone in the dim lights. A pair of racing goggles she had won in a bet was positioned on top of her head. Two blasters lay in holsters attached to her belt, loosened for easy access. Weapons stuck in your belt could get you killed before you blinked. A razor-sharp knife was also in the belt, along with ammo, rope, and just about every basic nessecity a bounty hunter would ever need or want.  
  
A few men gave her what she called 'the eye' and occasionally winked, but she ignored them all and concentrated on her drink. It wasn't her fault she was beautiful, and had the species to back her up on it.  
  
To her left sat her partner in crime; Fulageo. An olive-skinned Human, Fulageo had been in the business of collecting bounties for almost twenty years, since he was sixteen. But that was only two years before she started her life career. His naturally snow-white hair sat atop his head, pulled back into to dual ponytails, with one lock of hair hanging in front of his sleek silver eyes. He wore a baggy, sandy suit under a long dark- brown overcoat with multiple pockets. Underneath the coat was a belt that was a perfect copy of Rentha's, save there was no blasters. Instead, there was a lightsaber.  
  
Rentha didn't know where or how he had gotten it; it wasn't a bounty hunter's job to question for the sake of asking. She scanned the countertop for any bounties she or Fulageo might have missed. No one that she knew of...but there was a new face at the counter.  
  
Whoever-he-was had long, brown hair. For some reason, it made her think of a Wookie's fur. He wore loose, light-brown and white clothes like everyone else on Tatooine. He had a green complexion, large elfish ears, and was the smallest person Rentha had ever seen in her life. She couldn't place what species he was, unless he was a freak Rodian/Human/Wookie experiment gone wrong. The pint-sized man asked the bartender for a glass of bantha milk. The bartender seemed stumped, but did as the man said.  
  
Nudging Fulageo in the side, Rentha whispered in his ear, "Who and what is that?"  
  
Fulageo shrugged. "I don't really know; I've never seen that species before." He pulled out a handheld recorder of all recent bounties. "But he doesn't show up on the files; leave him be."  
  
"Whatever you say." Rentha turned back to look at the little man, who was peacefully drinking his milk quietly. Nobody talked to him, and he did the same. After finishing off two more glasses, the elfin man began to hop off the stool when he bumped into a Wookie, who had been drinking just a little too much than any person should have.  
  
The black-haired Wookie, known as Gibraltor by residents, rose up and roared loudly, causing every single conversation in the bar to stop. The man must have understood Gibraltor, because he said, "I'm really very sorry. Please, accept my apologies." Then he bowed politely.  
  
Gibraltor wasn't buying it. He snarled and snatched whoever-he-was up by his crimson vest. He roared again in the man's face, making Rentha's glass wobble. "You're going to kill me?" The tiny man said curiously, and then laughed. "I wouldn't really do that, my tall and furry friend." Only Rentha and Fulageo saw the man move his three-fingered hand under his vest.  
  
In less than a blink of an eye, the man had pulled out a lightsaber handle, activated it, and hacked off the drunken Wookie's head with a swipe of the humming yellow blade. As the huge body fell to the floor, the Jedi (as Rentha now knew he was) back flipped onto his stool with perfect grace and precision.  
  
"Hey, hey!" The bartender yelled out, waving all six of his arms. "No fights in here, Jedi!"  
  
The Jedi deactivated his lightsaber and put it back in his belt. "My apologies for the mess, sir. Thanks for the drinks, by the way. Very delicious." He turned back around, looking at the crowd. "By the way, folks, I have a message. I am looking for a bounty hunter or two for hire. I cannot pay you immediately, and I only have Republic credits. But I have enough of them to make you very, very happy on Coruscant. Good day." He hopped off the stool and walked calmly out the door.  
  
Rentha and Fulageo looked at each other, stunned. As the conversations started up again and a service droid dragged away Gibraltor's corpse, Fulageo said under his breath, "We should take that job."  
  
"Why?" Rentha sniffed. "We have bounties to collect; we're not a Jedi's nursemaid."  
  
"You heard what he said; and I hear that Jedi can pay quite a bit of credits, enough to last both of us for almost ten years."  
  
"That's a rumor you just heard less than an hour ago!"  
  
"At least half of the rumors ever said are true." Fulageo looked out the door, where he could still see the Jedi walking calmly down the street. "And if he's lying...we kill 'im."  
  
"Oh, alright. But you had best be right."  
  
Rentha and Fulageo paid the bartender their dues, then slid off of their stools to follow the Jedi to the hanger.  
  
*****  
  
"Boy! Wake up." Instantly awake, Boy looked up into his Master's eyes.  
  
"Master!" Boy jumped to his feet, standing stiff as a board. "What do you wish of me, my Master?"  
  
"I am going away...on a trip. I need you to watch over the prisoners; especially Yaddle."  
  
Boy nodded. It had been almost a full year now; Yaddle would go into labor any day now. "Yes, my Master. I am honored that you trust me so."  
  
Sidious walked out the door, signaling for Boy to follow. As the pair walked down the hall and to Sidious' ship, he wondered if his Master remembered to renew Boy's memories, to clear his mind of cluttering memories and thoughts. He said, "Is it not time for my memory renewal, Master?"  
  
"Yes, I know. Let us go refresh your mind, shall we?" Sidious stopped at a chamber and opened the door. Inside was a chair with different restraints for the arms, legs, neck, and torso. Boy was confused. His Master had never renewed him here, at least he thought so; he could never remember how his Master renewed him. This was where he took prisoners who needed to be disciplined. He had never seen his Master punish the prisoners, but he'd heard their cries of despair and pain. He started to panic. "Should I sit there?"  
  
"Yes. Sit down, Boy."  
  
Boy did as he was told. He sat down and waited for the restraints to chain him to the chair. But it didn't. This didn't feel like he was being punished. At least, not yet anyway. "What do you wish, Master?"  
  
"Talk with me," Sidious said quietly, stealthily. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Cold, Master."  
  
"Why, Boy?"  
  
"Because..." Did he dare tell his Master what he really thought? "Because my clothes are so thin, Master."  
  
Sidious closed his eyes, and Boy was unable to see if the Sith was pleased or not. "You were once Jedi, Boy. Think of what that means."  
  
Boy looked down at his bare, dirty feet. "It means I am nothing, Master."  
  
"Are you certain?"  
  
Boy wasn't certain; his mind suddenly became confused. He didn't know what to think, didn't know what was right or wrong. Sidious began to lean in on Boy, towering over the child. Suddenly, Boy yelled out as loud as he could and slapped his Master in the face. He knew he shouldn't have, but it felt good...so good...  
  
"Come on, Boy," the Sith crooned. "Hit me harder, servant. Your anger betrays you!"  
  
Boy screamed again in fury and hate, this time directing his blow repeatedly to Sidious' arm. "I hate you! I hate you! You killed my father! You burned down my home! You took me from everything, robbed me of my childhood! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you..." Boy's voice broke as he began to sob. "You even took my name!"  
  
"So you mean you have nothing more than the usual to be angry for?" Sidious loomed in closer, breathing on him heavily, and Boy leaned as far back into the chair as he possibly could without falling over. What did he want? Why did he break his spirit so?  
  
"I suppose you want to hit me again, don't you?" Sidious turned his head, so his right eye stared right at Boy. To the small servant, it seemed to suck him in to its eternal pit of darkness. He fell into it, unable to save himself.  
  
Boy collapsed out of the chair, gasping for breath. Terrified, he lay on the rock floor. He had struck his Master! He could only guess what kind of death he'd be made to suffer.  
  
But he no longer cared; even death would be better than this kind of torture.  
  
"Boy," Sidious whispered. Boy lifted his head. "You should never say those things about me, or strike me again."  
  
"Yes, my Master," Boy said wretchedly.  
  
"You owe me so much, Boy. I could have left you there to rot and die."  
  
"I know, Master. Please forgive me." I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, Boy thought furiously.  
  
"I forgive you."  
  
"Thank you for your kindness, Master." Boy allowed himself to be jerked up by Sidious onto his feet.  
  
"I meant to anger you, Boy. Did you feel the power of the Dark Side flowing through you?"  
  
"Yes, Master." But that was a lie. No matter how furious Boy became, he would never, ever turn to the Dark Side of the Force. "It was...wonderful."  
  
"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Sidious began to walk out the door, towards his ship. As he walked inside the starcraft, he turned to Boy again. "I shall be gone for only a week, but that will be enough time. When Yaddle conceives her child, drug her and then take it from her. Do you understand?"  
  
Boy bowed. "Yes, my Master."  
  
"Good." The hatch closed behind the Sith Lord, and the ship flew out of the cave into the sky. Boy looked outside, at the jungle below him. "Don't worry, my 'Master'." He said the word like a curse. "I will be around when Yaddle gives birth...you can count on it."  
  
*****  
  
"Amazing. For such a small person, he walks as fast as an acklay!" Fulageo and Rentha were having a hard time catching up with the mini-Jedi. And because of the man's shortness, it was hard to find him, especially in a crowd. Fulageo was becoming frustrated.  
  
"There he is." Rentha gestured to a parting in the crowd, but whoever was making the path couldn't be seen.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
The pair of bounty hunters followed the path made by the Jedi, which was leading straight to the ship hangars. Once the crowd got thinner, Fulageo spied the Jedi making his way to a sleek, ovular ship with an astromech droid just above its cockpit. Probably Coruscantian, he guessed.  
  
The hatch opened to the ship and the Jedi began to walk inside. "I'm back, Arthree. Guess we didn't find a tracker here."  
  
"Wait!" Rentha walked out, with Fulageo in tow.  
  
The Jedi turned, his eyes suddenly curious with a touch of surprise. "What?"  
  
Fulageo straightened his jacket. "We heard about your offer, and we'd like to take it."  
  
"Oh really?" The droid above them chirped suspiciously. "How should I know that you are bounty hunters?"  
  
"You're a Jedi, aren't you?" Rentha folded her arms, scowling fiercely. "Can't you read our minds or whatever?"  
  
"No, I cannot. That must mean you are what you claim to be; a bounty hunter can't afford to be weak-minded."  
  
"Very true," Fulageo murmured, rubbing his chin. He was starting to like the company of this Jedi; he didn't seem as stuck-up or high-and- mighty as most he had known. "So, why do you require our services?"  
  
The Jedi chuckled softly. "You think I'm going to hire you without knowing exactly who you are?"  
  
Fulageo laughed. "Clever, Jedi. I am Fulageo, and this is my associate Rentha."  
  
"Hm. I might have heard of you..." The Jedi trailed off when he saw the lightsaber hanging from Fulageo's belt. "Where'd you get that?"  
  
Fulageo stiffened. "Killed a Jedi who arrested the biggest bounty I had ever heard of. I would have been set for life if I'd caught that smuggler."  
  
"I see." Much to Fulageo and Rentha's surprise, the Jedi didn't seem angry at all. He merely bowed respectfully and said, "I am Yaro, Jedi Knight."  
  
"Yeah, we picked that up in the bar, as did Gibraltor."  
  
"Is that who the Wookie was? Odd names, those Wookies." Yaro walked inside the ship. "I'd prefer to discuss our business in here, if you like."  
  
Rentha and Fulageo glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes, instantly suspicious. Fulageo decided to risk it; after all, it was two seasoned bounty hunters against one, tiny Jedi. "Sure, why not?"  
  
The trio walked inside. The droid began to chirp and whistle furiously. "It's alright, Arthree!" said Yaro. "I think we can trust them..."  
  
This shocked Fulageo a bit. This was by far the weirdest Jedi he had ever met in his lifetime. From the look on Rentha's face, the Jedi's words had caught her off guard.  
  
"Sit here." Yaro gestured to a pair of bunk beds. As the bounty hunters sat, Yaro pulled up a chair and sat down.  
  
"So," Rentha said. "Why do you want a bounty hunter?"  
  
Yaro pulled a small hologram transmitter from a pocked in his vest and pushed a button. A hologram of a female of Yaro's species appeared. "I'm looking for this woman; she's...a friend of mine, a Jedi. Her name is Yaddle."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"She was kidnapped from the Temple almost a year ago. I've been looking for her since, and have been unsuccessful alone. So I've finally decided I need...help. What do you say?"  
  
Rentha and Fulageo consulted each other, whispering quietly. After a few minutes of discussing, Fulageo smiled at Yaro. "Deal."  
  
*****  
  
Yaddle sighed. "Sho must still be asleep, little one," she murmured to the tiny life, who she was certain was a girl, inside of her. Of course, the fetus didn't answer back, or even give the slightest hint she had paid attention. Yaddle chuckled. "Oh yes, you are most definitely Yaro's child."  
  
Suddenly, a series of tapping came from the wall she was sitting against. "About time," Yaddle grumbled. Turning over with effort, she tapped, 'How is the tunnel coming?' She and Sho had been toying with the atoms in the wall, causing small bits to collapse.  
  
'So far? About half a foot into the wall. We might even break through your side today,' was the answer. 'How is your little one today?'  
  
'Restless. She keeps kicking me, and it is starting to hurt.'  
  
'You must be close to delivery then, Yaddle.'  
  
Yaddle sighed. She now knew Sidious knew that she was pregnant, and was terrified to think of what could happen to her child. 'I know.'  
  
'You must not give up hope. If you do, your being and courage will soon follow.'  
  
'Yes, Sho. Now, let us go to work on that passage, shall we?'  
  
'Let's.' As she worked carefully, Yaddle could feel Sho on the opposite wall, working away on the atoms delicately with the Force. Suddenly, a small piece of the wall collapsed. 'Sho!' Yaddle pattered at the Jedi Master excitedly. 'It is breaking through!'  
  
'Yes, yes, I know!' Sho began to work a little faster, as did Yaddle. More and more rapidly, parts of the concrete wall began to fall apart. Yaddle felt the excitement of probable escape grip her. Her stomach began to tighten.  
  
Wait...that wasn't her stomach... "Sho?"  
  
For the first time in almost a year, a voice answered her. It sounded almost silky, but rough. "Yes, Yaddle?"  
  
"I...I think..."  
  
"The baby?" Sho sounded surprised.  
  
"Yes! She's on her way!"  
  
*****  
  
Boy gasped. He had been in his room when he felt something ripple in the Force; like a new life coming into existence. "Can it be? Yaddle's giving birth?"  
  
He opened his door and sprinted down the hall, going over his plan in his mind as he ran. He could only hope it would work...  
  
*****  
  
Another contraction came, the hardest one yet. Yaddle gasped out in pain and shock. "Sho, I need help!"  
  
"Just a second!" Yaddle could feel Sho widening the passage with both the Force and his hands so he could crawl through it.  
  
She gasped again. "I don't have a second!" She reached out to the Force, to try to push away the pain coming from her screaming muscles. If there was one thing good about this, it was the fact that she could finally practice some Jedi techniques she had read about, but had never used. "Sho?" She gasped again.  
  
Suddenly, the hole in the wall became bigger. A head popped out, followed by a small, green body in a dirty rag of a tunic. It was a male of her species, Yaddle realized. He had light brown hair, but it was falling out and the hair that was left was graying. He had deep, bronze eyes that seemed to fill up the entire room. "Yaddle?" He asked.  
  
"Yes, it's me. Nice to finally see your face, Sho." Yaddle groaned again. She could sense the tiny, undeveloped mind in her panicking. Don't worry, little one, she thought toward the babe. She didn't blame her child; the passing into a world she knew absolutely nothing about must have been truly terrifying to the baby. It's going to be alright, my daughter. I'm here, don't be afraid.  
  
"Come on, Yaddle," Yaro said soothingly. He held her hand in his, stroking it with the other. It was very comforting. "Push, and remember to breathe!"  
  
"I am," Another contraction took her attention once more. "Oh..."  
  
"You all right?"  
  
"Oh! It-It hurts, it hurts," Yaddle breathed, her voice almost strangled.  
  
"I'm right here, my friend." Sho caressed her now sweaty forehead. But she hardly heard him. She turned her full attention to the life, the life that she and Yaro had created together, as it moved. Her daughter's mind was no longer scared; she was in complete terror.  
  
Don't be afraid, my love, Yaddle thought at her baby. I'm here; it's almost over, my...Yaddle paused as she tried to think of a name. Later, she decided. Don't be afraid, my little one.  
  
Suddenly, for the first time in almost a year, the mind actually acknowledged the thought. Although the child didn't understand a single word, she responded to the feelings that Yaddle offered. The fear began to disappear. Yes, yes. I'm your mama; I am here, waiting for you.  
  
The mind finally calmed down, seeming to consider that. Yaddle almost laughed. You truly are Yaro's daughter! She said excitedly at her baby. Suddenly, she had a vision, a vision of a small, green girl with yellow eyes and reddish-brown hair, standing proudly next to Yaro and Yaddle. The image filled Yaddle with pride and hope that she and her child would be found by Yaro and that she and her lover would be reunited again, this time with a child.  
  
Suddenly, a sound like the slamming of a door eliminated the peaceful image. "What?" Yaddle yelped, gripping Sho's hand even harder.  
  
"Oh no..." Sho breathed. Yaddle turned her head and almost cried out.  
  
It was Sidious' young servant; Boy. He stood speechless in the open doorway. Sho growled under his breath and Boy jumped, closing the door behind him. All the happiness that had filled Yaddle was gone in the blink of an eye; Boy had seen her giving birth! Now he would most certainly go find Sidious. Sidious would take the baby from her, and probably kill or torture Sho for breaking out of his cell. Tears began to stream down her face.  
  
Releasing her hand, Sho stood up and placed himself in front of Yaddle. "If you want the baby or Yaddle, you will have to go through me, Boy!"  
  
What Boy said next shocked both of the Jedi: "I don't want the baby."  
  
Yaddle winced as a contraction became more painful. "What do you mean?"  
  
Boy walked over and Sho crouched again, almost snarling. "I said I don't want the baby; I want to help you."  
  
"Why?" Sho sneered.  
  
"Because...because I don't want the baby to have to go through the same childhood I had. No baby, especially a Jedi's baby, deserves that."  
  
Yaddle groaned in pain and Sho dropped next to her. "Why?" She breathed. "I thought you were loyal to your Master."  
  
"He is not my Master!" Boy almost yelled. Panting, he said, "I hate that man, above all things. I want to help you, because without that child, his plans won't work."  
  
"What plan?"  
  
"Sidious left on a trip yesterday. As soon as you had the baby, he wanted me to drug you, and then take the baby from you. He knew if he had the baby, he would have complete power over you, and you would teach him the last Dark Art to get your baby back." But he shook his head. "I can't do it. I just can't do that to a baby! But I do have a plan on how to help her get out of here."  
  
Yaddle was about to answer, but a white light seemed to explode in her eyes. "Oh!"  
  
"It's coming!" Sho yelped, instantly at Yaddle's side. "Boy! Give me your shirt, now!" Boy did as told, slipping his shirt off and handing it to Sho, who held it just between Yaddle's legs. "Your daughter is almost out! Looks like she's trying to crawl out herself! One more push should do it, Yaddle!"  
  
Yaddle strained, combing the Force and sheer will to extract her child. And suddenly, it was all over. The crying of a newborn baby echoed in the room. Yaddle strained to see Sho wrapping the bawling baby in the cloth.  
  
Sho smiled lopsidedly at Yaddle. Where had she seen that smile before, she wondered. But Yaddle didn't care at the moment. "It's your daughter, Yaddle..." He placed the crying child in her mother's open arms.  
  
Boy kneeled by Yaddle, and Yaddle almost laughed at the fascinated, boyish expression on the boy's face. "Whatcha gonna call her, Yaddle?" he asked quietly.  
  
Yaddle thought for a second. "Yiara..." She murmured. "My little Yiara..." She stroked the short, auburn, misplaced hairs on Yiara's tiny head. Yiara opened her eyes, revealing innocent, yellow eyes. "You have your mommy's eyes, my baby," Yaddle cooed.  
  
Sho smiled and patted Yaddle on the shoulder. "She's beautiful. Who is the father, anyhow?"  
  
"Another Jedi. His name is Yaro."  
  
Suddenly, Sho's face turned from wonder to shock. "Did-Did-Did you say 'Yaro'?"  
  
"Yes...why?"  
  
Sho's eyes began to tear. "I...I once had a son named Yaro. But he was killed by Sidious when he was only two centuries old..." The old Jedi's voice broke as he softly cried. Yaddle put a comforting hand on his shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Sho."  
  
"That's real sad, Sho," Boy said quietly. Then he shook his head. "I guess I had best tell you my plan now, Yaddle." He took a deep breath, making his ribs stick out. "My plan is this: Sidious is coming back today in a few hours, if not sooner. I could take the baby and run for it. I have a small starfighter that nobody wanted, but I fixed it this past year. I could go to Coruscant, tell the Jedi Temple where you two are, and bring them back here."  
  
Yaddle was stunned. "But why take my baby? She's not even a day old yet!"  
  
"I know, I know. But if I don't, Sidious will take her from you!"  
  
That thought burned into Yaddle's brain like blaster fire. Sidious couldn't take the baby away from her when Yaddle was pregnant, but now that Yiara had been born...she shuddered with full-blown terror. "He's right, Sho." She gazed sadly down at the now sleeping babe in her arms, Yiara's arms occasionally flailing against her chest. "It's selfish of me to keep Yiara here, in danger." To her daughter, she said sadly, "I gave you life, and now I must give it to you again, by getting you out of here." Yaddle hugged Yiara tightly. "I pray we meet again, my little one."  
  
Standing up with the assistance of Sho, Yaddle carefully wrapped Yiara in the cloth and handed her to Boy, who held her like a precious treasure, for the child truly was in his eyes. "Please, go gently for me. Such precious cargo you bear now, Boy."  
  
Yiara fussed and Boy stroked her, soothing her back into sleep. "I will. I have some milk in the ship for Yiara, so she won't go hungry." He smiled sadly. "I'll starve before she goes without food."  
  
"Thank you so much, Boy. May the Force be with you, and with Yiara."  
  
Boy walked out the room and into the hallway. Turning around slightly, he whispered just for them to hear, "And with you, always. Goodbye." Then he ran down the hall, Yiara held protectively in his arms. Yaddle heard him talking to a droid or another servant, saying the child was born dead. When Boy's voice and presence had disappeared, Yaddle began to sob. Sho tried to comfort her, but to no use. "I only had her for ten minutes, Sho...only ten...minutes!" She cried tears of rage and despair into Sho's shoulder.  
  
"It was for the best, Yaddle," Sho said soothingly as he cradled Yaddle, rocking her like a child. "Soon, the Jedi will come for us. Your lover, Yaro, will come for you, with Yiara in his arms. I just know it."  
  
Suddenly, there was the sound of a starship landing down the hall. Sho raced to the open door and slammed it shut. "I have to go! Help me rebuild the tunnel, quickly!" As Sho crawled backwards into the tunnel, pushing rocks against Yaddle's wall, Yaddle piled the rocks in a pile and leaned against it.  
  
She listened quietly to Sidious' voice, talking to whoever Boy had told the baby was born premature. She heard Sidious howl with fury and their was a sound of crashing metal. Yaddle huddled against the wall as she heard Sidious' feet pound down the hall, stopping at her door. It swung open with a crash and there stood the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, in all his fury. In his hand, he held what appeared to be a razor-edged whip.  
  
"Born dead, eh?" Sidious growled. He was glowing with fury, powered by the Dark Side. He stalked into the room, wringing the whip in his hands. The blades on the ends of the whip's many tails cut into the man's hands. Red blood dripped onto the floor and Sidious' robes, but the Sith ignored it. "You killed it, didn't you? So I wouldn't have it! I'll teach you, Jedi!"  
  
And after that, Yaddle forgot all about her child, about Sho, about Yaro. All she knew was pain.  
  
*****  
  
~See why this is PG-13? O_o' 


	8. Part 8

Reflection Saga: Part 8  
  
*****  
  
Yaro sat in the pilot's chair of the Playtoy. In the two seats behind him sat the bounty hunters he had hired in Mos Espa he had hired yesterday. If he remembered right, the Twi'lek was Rentha, and the Human was Fulageo. If he had ever heard of them, he had forgotten it.  
  
From up above, Arthree whistled, his worried message of, 'Can we trust them?' appearing on the message screen. Yaro stole a glance backwards. "I think so, Arthree. They seem to be pretty confident of themselves. But then-"  
  
His words were cut off by a sudden blast of hurt, fear, and despair. It seared into his mind like a white-hot metal bar. He cried out in pain, unable to stand it. Behind him, he heard Fulageo and Rentha fall off their seats in surprise. Yaro let go of the controls and for a minute the ship flew off on its own account. A scream, not his own but someone else's, blasted its way into Yaro's brain and he instantly recognized it. "Yaddle!" he screamed out, but the pain faded.  
  
"What's wrong, Jedi!?" Fulageo shook Yaro hard and he had to struggle not to cry out again.  
  
"Yaddle...she...she was in such pain! It about killed me..." Yaro's voice began to break. No! He had to stay strong, especially in front of these bounty hunters. Exhausted and sweaty, he drew in a long, ragged breath as he raked his hair back with a hand, closing his eyes and trying to calm himself. I am Jedi. I am at peace, he told himself. I am at peace.  
  
Rentha's voice cut through Yaro's concentration. "Hey, look! There's something on the ship's sensors. Check it out."  
  
Yaro looked at his ship's sensors. Rentha was right; the sensors had caught something in its range. He extended them, along with his abilities.  
  
He found a ship; a small, old-model ship that had just come out of hyperspace. And there was at least one, Force-talented being inside. "Yaddle!" Yaro cried out happily. He fought back the urge to rush to it.  
  
Apparently, Rentha felt the same. "Go slowly; could be a trap. Get your droid to get the ship's signature and its record."  
  
Yaro nodded. "Arthree! Get me a-" But the droid had already started, tracing the ship with the Playtoy's sensors. The results showed up on Arthree's message board:  
  
Yaddle wasn't on that ship.  
  
"No!" Yaro beat his fists on the armrests. He was used to failure, but was furious every time anyhow. Yoda would have rapped his knuckles with his cane for losing his temper, and Yaro knew it. But he couldn't help it.  
  
"Hello? Who is this?" A young, boyish voice crackled over Yaro's intercom. Pressing the button (now replaced from the old one), Yaro said, "This is Yaro's Playtoy. Who are you?"  
  
"Did you say 'Yaro'?" The other person said heatedly.  
  
"Yes. Why?"  
  
"Please, let us hook up to you! I need to talk to you immediately!" The other ship began to drift swiftly towards Yaro's ship. A bit confused, Yaro allowed the two ships to hook onto each other. He, Rentha, and Fulageo walked over to where the other person was supposed to meet them. When the hatch opened, they had quite a shock.  
  
A young boy with dark brown skin and a hairless head. He had no shirt, but his pants were so filthy one couldn't guess the original color, and he had no shoes on. In his arms, he held a small bundle of cloth in his arms. "Are you really the Jedi Knight, Yaro?" The boy breathed, obviously excited.  
  
"Yes. Why?"  
  
"I...I have something of yours. And a message, from Yaddle."  
  
"YADDLE!?" Yaro raced forward and gripped the boy's shoulders, shaking him. "Where is she!? How is she!? Who kidnapped her!? Who are you?!"  
  
"Damn, Yaro!" Rentha walked forward and pulled Yaro back. "Let the boy talk, would ya?"  
  
Yaro got his wits back. "I'm so sorry. I overreacted." Looking at the boy with a gleam in his eyes like a person offered food and water after weeks of starvation. "Please, please, please tell me: Where is Yaddle?"  
  
*****  
  
"So, Yaddle is on your Master's planet, Polvin Kut was actually a Sith Lord and his clone is to, am I right, Boy?" Yaro was overwhelmed. The two bounty hunters were also perplexed, from the expressions on their faces.  
  
Boy nodded. "Yes...and Yaro?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"There's something else you need to know."  
  
"What?"  
  
"When Sidious kidnapped Yaddle, she...she was...with child. Your child."  
  
Yaro gasped. "W-What?"  
  
Boy carried on like he hadn't heard Yaro. "Yaddle was pregnant for a year; she just gave birth today." He then pulled at the cloth, carefully stripping away the top part. Inside was a tiny, baby girl of Yaro's kind, only half the size of a human infant. At first, Yaro was confused, and then he realized...  
  
"Is that...is that my child?"  
  
Boy held her out to Yaro. "Yeah. Yaddle called her Yiara."  
  
Yaro took her, cradling her carefully in his arms. He was overcome with shock, happiness, and pride. A tear rolled from his eye and dropped onto the sleeping child's forehead. "My...my daughter? I didn't even know..."  
  
Yiara, awakened by the teardrop, awakened. She stared up at Yaro, her yellow eyes so full of innocence. Yaro stroked his daughter's hair with a fingernail, half of it brown like his and the other half red like Yaddle's. "I had a child, and didn't even know it." He looked up at Boy. "How can I ever thank you, Boy?"  
  
"I just want to get Yaddle out of there."  
  
"No, there must be something I can do for you. Just name it, and I'll do it."  
  
Boy paused, in deep thought. Then he sighed, and suddenly seemed very, very old to Yaro. At least for a Human. "Sidious wiped my memory as a child. I can't remember my name at all. I want a name, to prove I am somebody."  
  
"A name? Okay..." Yaro scratched his chin. "Well, to last so long, you must be very strong. And your abilities in the Force are pretty powerful as well. Strong...maybe sword? No...something that represents power-"  
  
Fulageo snapped his fingers. "I know! My father used to carry around a club that belonged to our ancestors. I think that'd represent power!"  
  
Rentha rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, but 'club' doesn't sound right. What's another word for club?"  
  
Yaro ticked off his fingers. "Lessee, bat, stick, mace-"  
  
"That's it!" Boy yelled out. "Mace! That sounds good to me!"  
  
"Alright then. We can't just leave you with 'Mace', so you need a last name too."  
  
Rentha's lekku twitched with curiosity. "I think I know what would work with it; it's a Twi'lek word for 'boy': Windu."  
  
"Mace Windu..." Boy whispered. "I like it, no! I love it!" He cried softly and wiped his tears away with his arm. "I have a name now..."  
  
Yaro walked forward and placed his free hand on Mace's shoulder. "And when we return to Coruscant with Yaddle, you will become my Padawan, I promise."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really really."  
  
Mace looked like he wanted to cry, but he sniffed and forced himself to hold it back. "Well, then what are we waiting for!?" He yelled, throwing his skinny arms into the air. "Let's go save Yaddle!"  
  
Rentha laughed, gracefully leaping into the pilot's chair. "Then let's get this lousy bucket up and running!"  
  
Fulageo, Yaro, and the newly christened Mace Windu all let out a yell, while Yiara simply looked on curiously.  
  
*****  
  
"So...where are we?"  
  
Mace chuckled nervously as he pushed the helmet he had been using to practice with a small remote as Yaro looked on. Fulageo's lightsaber's purple blade hummed quietly in the ship. "Actually, to be honest...I've never been off of Sidious' planet. Ever."  
  
Rentha turned in the pilot's seat. "Are you serious? Then how in hell's name did you find us!?"  
  
Mace shrugged meekly. "Luck, I guess."  
  
"No," Yaro scolded as he fed Yiara a milk/watered provisions porridge while steering Yaro's Playtoy. He waved the small spoon at the young boy, flinging a few globs onto the floor. "Here is your first lesson: there is no luck; only the Force. Nothing, and I mean nothing, happens by chance."  
  
Understanding, Mace nodded. It made full sense to him. "Yes...Master Yaro."  
  
Yaro smiled, and then returned the spoon to a very hungry Yiara. Mace smiled, and wondered if his father had acted that way when he was a baby like Yiara. Shaking his head, he said to himself, No. The past is the past. I must keep my eyes on the future.  
  
"So, Mace," Fulageo said loudly. He was in the medical room, rewiring the controls. "You don't know how to get back to Sidious' planet?"  
  
"No, sir."  
  
"Don't call me sir." The bounty hunter scowled, then suddenly smiled brightly for the first time that Mace had seen. "I know..." He attached a final wire and yelled out, "Hey! Jedi! I need your help!  
  
"Alright! No need to yell." Yaro fed the last of the makeshift porridge to his little daughter, who took it greedily. "You eat like a starving massif! Must be the Yaddle in you." Giving her to Mace, he said, "What is it you need?"  
  
"We need you to use your navigator to do a search of all the nearby planets or stars; I don't know how to use these high-tech, fancy, doo-dad ships."  
  
"Watch what you're calling a doo-dad, pirate!" Yaro growled playfully. "This 'high-tech, fancy, doo-dad ship' is gonna save Yaddle, and probably your hide too!"  
  
"Ha! That'll be the day, Jedi."  
  
Yaro only laughed as he punched a few instructions into the computer. The screen lit up with all the local planets. Thirteen showed up, all with at least six moons or more. They circled not one sun, but two; as the planets revolved around them, the suns in turn were pulled to each other, like a slow, galactic dance.  
  
Seven of the planets were gas giants and, as the screen said, unable to support life above single-celled organisms. Two more were simply hunks of rocks, enormous asteroids pulled into the suns' pull. A trio of planets was like triplets; they had the exact same sizes, number of moons, and all were covered in glaciers, floating over planet-wide seas. A few life-forms, though primitive and no where near sentience yet, lived on the barren ice, but no intelligent race that Mace knew of could live there.  
  
But the last, the fifth planet from the suns, simply exploded with life: it was covered in a rain forest with no seas at all; the only water available was in the lakes, rivers, and heavy rain.  
  
Mace recognized the planet immediately. "That's it. That's the planet where Yaddle is being kept." He shivered, remembering how he himself had felt Yaddle's agony escaping. "Master Yaro?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm afraid to go back. Is that bad?"  
  
"You have good reason to fear Sidious." Yaro placed a hand on Mace's shoulder, smiling warmly. It made Mace feel much warmer than any star could. "But remember this: Fear is of the Dark Side; Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, anger leads to suffering, of both the innocent and guilty."  
  
Mace smiled back. "Yes, Master." He continued to watch Yaro as the Jedi did a few more scans of the planet and its life forms. He couldn't believe it; a Jedi would train him. Now, he would become a Jedi like his father could have been, had Mace not been born.  
  
Yaro turned in his chair. "Your thoughts betray you, my young Padawan."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I mean, don't get to confident." Yaro turned back to the controls. "We still have a very long road to walk before the Jedi Council gives me permission to train you."  
  
Mace's heart dropped like a rock. "Oh."  
  
"But don't let that get you down, Mace."  
  
"Yes sir!"  
  
Fulageo nudged Yaro in the side. "Sorry to break up this party of yours, but get a good look at the screen." Mace walked up and looked over Yaro's shoulder. From what the screens said, there were most definitely a number of sentient beings on the planet. But there was no record of the race, whatever they were.  
  
"Makes since; this star system doesn't even exist in the Republic's records." Rentha looked at Mace. "Have you ever seen these people? Are they friendly?"  
  
Mace shrugged. "I never saw them, but Sidious always told me to never, ever, go out of the underground caves, 'cause the tribes would get me. But sometimes, I would wander to just out of the edge of the hangars, and I heard this eerie chatter mixed with different howls and whistles. Gave me nightmares, it did."  
  
"Hm. Did this chattering have a distinct pattern? Like a bird's song?"  
  
"Sometimes, but it sounded more like..."  
  
"More like a primitive language?" Fulageo ventured.  
  
"Yeah...kind of. I'm not sure if whoever-they-are is friendly or not; once, a prisoner escaped into the forest. Sidious sent me after him, but I heard the man scream and I came right back. We never found that man again."  
  
Rentha scoffed. She pulled her blasters out of their holsters, twirling them on her fingers. "Doesn't matter. If they attack us, we just kill 'em. No big deal."  
  
Yaro scowled at the Twi'lek. "There's more than one way to deal with primitives than blasting their heads off, you know." He turned to Mace. "You're going to have to help us, Mace. Is there a path of any sort in this jungle?"  
  
Mace nodded. "I think so. Once, I climbed on top of the hills that the base is under, and saw a very big road. About the width of a Bantha, I'd say."  
  
"Good; we can't afford to get lost here." He pushed a few buttons, and the Playtoy's landing gear came out. "Let's land. Everyone have a weapon?"  
  
"I don't, Master," Mace said. It was true; he didn't have a single way to defend himself should they be attacked.  
  
"Take the lightsaber, kid," Fulageo said. "If you're Jedi, you'll make better use of it than this old spacer."  
  
Mace held it carefully in his free hand while the other held Yiara. "But what about you, Fulageo? And what do we do with Yiara?"  
  
"I'll put her in one of the beds in the medical room; they're too big for her to fall off, and Fulageo here reprogrammed the circuits to take care of her. As for Fulageo, he can borrow one of my blasters." Yaro opened a small compartment on his armrests, pulling out a hand-size shooter and tossed it the bounty hunter. "It's small, but packs a punch." He then took Yiara and placed the sleeping baby in one of the beds, tucking her carefully under the blankets.  
  
Fulageo took the blaster, sticking it in his pocket. "Thanks, Jedi."  
  
The Playtoy hit solid ground in the middle of a clearing. According to the ship, it was evening, but the sky was as dark as coal. That's going to make it harder to find our way, thought Mace. A few local animals fled in terror of the ship, taking refuge in the dark trees as the foursome walked out of the ship.  
  
Once they were all out and the ship had closed, Yaro said quietly, "Mace, do you know how to use a lightsaber now?" Mace nodded. "Yes, Master. I feel very confident that I can."  
  
Yaro nodded back and activated his own lightsaber with a snap-hiss. When Mace triggered his own, the combination of the purple and the yellow blades shining made the small meadow glow with an eerie light. Fulageo and Rentha held their blasters carefully; their fingers poised just a few millimeters in front of the triggers.  
  
Pulling a pair of binoculars made just for the dark, Fulageo put them on and glanced around the clearing. He swept his arm to a small path none of them had noticed before. "This way," he whispered.  
  
The group walked carefully down the path, the shine of Mace and Yaro's lightsabers lighting the way. The occasional bird or beast cried out, making Mace jump.  
  
"Settle down, kid," Fulageo whispered.  
  
"Yes, sir," Mace murmured back. Suddenly, he heard Rentha, who had been bringing up the back, cry out. As soon as the he turned around, something like a needle's prick struck him in the base of his neck. Before he could even think of it, he was on the ground, unconscious.  
  
***** 


	9. Part 9

Reflection Saga: Part 9 *snickers* Told ya that I still had a few surprises, didn't I! Ha ha!  
  
*****  
  
"Ugh..." Rentha moaned. "What the devil?" She looked around, spying Fulageo on her left and Mace and Yaro on her right. Looking up, she saw that all four of them were hanging on a tree limb at least ten feet off the ground by their wrists. Ropes tied their arms to the tree's biggest branch, dangling them like piñatas.  
  
"Nice of you to join the party," Fulageo mumbled.  
  
"Well, I couldn't let you three have all the fun." Rentha looked down at the ground. "That's a mighty long way down."  
  
"Thanks for informing us of the obvious."  
  
"Oh shut up." Then she noticed her utility belt and blasters were gone. "Hey! Someone took my stuff!"  
  
"Yeah," Yaro said, having just awoken. "My lightsaber is missing as well."  
  
Mace groaned. "Oh, my neck." Then he started to wriggle around, trying to reach his back with his foot. "What a time to get an itch! Ow!"  
  
Suddenly, Rentha's body began to itch as well. "I think it's contagious, Mace. Now I itch."  
  
Yaro tried to scratch his back like Mace had done. "Ow! It doesn't itch; it bites!"  
  
Suddenly, Rentha saw a small dot crawl across her chest. A dot about an inch big and a bright red. "Aah!" She screamed. "Ants! BIG ants!" Her whole body began to sting all over, and she couldn't do a thing about it. The ant that had been on her chest was now on her torso, gnawing through her shirt to bite her stomach. "Ow! Stupid bugs!"  
  
"Ow! Ow!" Yaro cried out. "Let me try something! Ow!" Turning his gaze to the tree limb, Yaro stared at it hard, whispering under his breath. Suddenly, the whip-like branches above them began to sweep towards them, brushing away the ants. Once they were all gone, everyone sighed with relief.  
  
"Can ya have the tree put us down?" Mace asked, frowning from the stings on his body. The ants had left, but their bites remained.  
  
Yaro nodded. "I think so, but..."  
  
"But what, Jedi?" Fulageo growled.  
  
"It's gonna be a long drop, if I have the tree put us down."  
  
Rentha looked down at the ground again. Even though she had the brawns of a bounty hunter, that didn't mean she had to like heights even the slightest bit. "Oh no...that will definitely hurt."  
  
Yaro smirked cockily. "Well, we could always wait for our little, red friends to come back."  
  
"Put us down Yaro!" Rentha screeched.  
  
"Okay, no need to shout and tell Sidious we're here! Never get any thanks..." Yaro started to mumble under his breath as the tree limb bent over as far as it could. The snapping of the wood as it bowed rang in Rentha's ears. When the branch they were on was about seven feet above solid ground, Yaro said, "Last stop; ants, jungles, evil Sith Lords. Everyone off on three. Three...two...one!"  
  
The ropes suddenly slid towards the end, stripping the branch off its leaves as the group fell to the ground. Fulageo, graceful as he was, landed feet first and caught Rentha in his arms. "Thank you," she said.  
  
"No problem, partner."  
  
Yaro did a perfect back flip onto the ground, landing on top of a tree stump. Mace, however, wasn't as lucky; he landed rear-end-first into the nest of the ants. "Ow! OW! OW! OW! They're eating me alive!" He yelped.  
  
Everyone but Yaro laughed at the sight of the boy scratching at his rear, desperately trying to remove the pesky ants. Walking up to the boy, Yaro pulled down a tree limb and brushed the insects off of Mace. When Mace tried to stomp out the nest, Yaro instantly grabbed his leg. "Don't!" The Jedi said sternly. "They have the right of way; they are only defending their home."  
  
Mace frowned, but left the ants alone as they crawled back into their nest. Looking around, he said, "So...what now?"  
  
Rentha took in their surroundings: it was a huge rainforest. If she had thought she had been high up in the tree, she had been wrong. The trees were simply enormous, growing hundreds of feet tall. Little light leaked through the trees' canopies. Ferns cushioned the ground all over; it was like walking on clouds. The occasional bird squawked, insects chirped, and (only once) a loud roar sounded out, making the entire group jump.  
  
"That does not sound good," Fulageo mumbled.  
  
"Or very inviting, for that matter," Yaro agreed. "But that does not matter. To find Yaddle and stop Darth Sidious, we must go through it."  
  
Rentha nodded. "Then let's go my companions." Spying a semi-clear path, the group walked in a straight line to whatever awaited them.  
  
*****  
  
"What the!?" Rentha, who had been several feet in front of the others, yelled. Yaro, Fulageo, and Mace quickly came to her aide, finding her in a small clearing. Mace cried out.  
  
There was a head; the head of a human male on stake. From the looks of it, he had been there for a long time, maybe a few months. Flies buzzed around the skull, picking at the rotting flesh. Yaro tried his best not to become sick, suddenly glad he had fed the last of his provisions to his daughter.  
  
Mace started to step backwards, clearly terrified. "That-that-that- that's the man who I was telling you about! The man who escaped, and was heard screaming here! We should leave!" He turned to leave, but was stopped by Fulageo's arms.  
  
"Now, just hold on junior! You're staying with us...or you can go out in this forest and end up like your friend over there."  
  
Yaro nodded. "He's right, Mace. If you get lost here, I doubt you'll find your way without meeting whoever killed this prisoner." He glanced up and down the pole, looking for any evidence of who might have done this.  
  
Suddenly, there was a great screeching, hooting, and chatter filling the air. Before even Yaro could react, immensely heavy nets were tossed on top of them from the trees overhead. Although he struggled, Yaro could not toss of the net, or reach his lightsaber to cut it open.  
  
A male person walked into the clearing. He was humanoid, with dark blue skin and black hair. His ears were almost exact copies of Yaro's, except they were pierced all the way from the lobe to the tip with heavy- looking bronze and copper earrings, some of which looked like they had been made of gears, ships, or droids. He wore an extensive, furred cape and a loincloth of the same material, but not much else. A metal, utility belt that Yaro recognized to be Rentha's hung on the man's hips. On it was Mace and Yaro's lightsabers, along with Fulageo and Rentha's blasters. Many more of the same species came out, both female and male. From the way they respectfully stayed away from the man who had approached Yaro and the others, he was clearly their leader.  
  
Hoping desperately that the man knew Basic, Yaro said loudly and slowly, "Hello! Who...are...you?"  
  
The man snorted, and squatted to look Yaro in the face. He seemed confused, and then stood up and yelled out something to someone in the back. A female, a teenager it seemed, walked slowly up to the leader and chattered up to him.  
  
Pointing to Yaro, the leader barked something at the girl roughly. The girl nodded, and then cleared her throat, sitting on her knees in front of the group. In perfect Basic, she said, "Hello, strangers. I am Aoife, and this," pointing to the man behind her, "is my father and chief, Versalo. Welcome!"  
  
Yaro only let his mouth gape, and from the silence behind him, so did his friends. "H-Hello, Aoife. Um...why have we been captured? Could you let us go?"  
  
Aoife looked back up at Versalo and chattered a few words in her language. Versalo thought, then hooted back at his translator. Yaro had a bad feeling that meant "no."  
  
The young girl looked back at Yaro. "He said no, unless you tell us who you are, why you are here, and what you want."  
  
"Well, alright: I am Yaro, a Jedi Knight, the Human man with silver hair is Fulageo, the Twi'lek is Rentha, and the boy is my Padawan, Mace Windu. We are here to find another Jedi, and we want-"  
  
"To be let out!" Rentha interrupted. Mace and Fulageo nodded in agreement.  
  
"Jedi?" Aoife's face was a first confused, then beamed with happiness as she spoke again with Versalo, this time with gusto. Versalo, too, looked stunned. Then he smiled and yelled at the top of his voice, sounding extremely happy. Two men came forward, lifting the heavy net off of them. Yaro stood up, slightly bewildered. "What is that all about?"  
  
Aoife smiled brightly. "We have been waiting for the Jedi, for a very long time! But first!" She clapped, and almost instantly the group was lifted onto the shoulders of some of the taller males. "Come! We will care for you in our village!"  
  
Yaro looked over at his friends, who shrugged. Perplexed, he said, "Let's just see what they want to do with us, first." He looked upwards at the ceiling of trees, his eyes occasionally smarting when struck with a ray of light. He sighed; it seemed whenever he came within an inch of rescuing Yaddle, she was snatched away from him and hidden even farther off then before.  
  
*****  
  
The group took Yaro and the others to their home; a ground-set village, with domed homes made of various tree limbs, glued together with mud and tied to the ground with ropes made from the guts of animals. Children rushed to meet their fathers, while the women just stood in front of their huts. From the stares they were getting, Yaro guessed that news of Jedi coming was very important to them. Their weapons were given back to them, and Yaro could feel that Fulageo and Rentha felt safe again, now that they had their weapons within their grasp. Grasping his lightsaber's hilt, he almost felt the same way. Almost.  
  
"Aoife!" He called down to the translator. "Why are we being brought here?"  
  
She beamed up at him. "We, the Aeetosians, have been waiting for so long for the Jedi to come for us! To save us from the clutches of Darth Sidious, and return our planet, our freedom, and our dignity to us!"  
  
Before he could ask any more questions, Yaro and his friends were set carefully on the ground. Versalo smiled at them, and then began to speak. Aoife stood to his side, translating as the chief talked. "We would like to thank these Jedi for coming, for coming to set us free again! Let us celebrate their arrival with food, drinks, dancing, and music!" Both Aoife and Versalo clapped their hands together, and almost instantly a huge pile of fruits, vegetables, and what seemed to be a flat kind of bread. Just looking at it made Yaro's mouth begin to water, not to mention the smell. But he shook his head, clearing the image of himself gorging to his heart's delight out of his head. "But wait! What do you mean? We don't understand at all!"  
  
Aoife consulted to her father, who looked frustrated now. He sighed, and began to speak in the native language as Aoife deciphered his words. "Twelve years ago, our planet was peaceful. The crops were good, the weather kind, and many children were born. But then, a Sith named Darth Sidious came and claimed us. Of course, we fought...but we lost all of our warriors. We have been his slaves since then. I, Aoife, was even captured by him and made his servant, which is how I know Basic. But we were sure that the Jedi would come for us, and now you have come!"  
  
Yaro was instantly filled with pity and guilt. "I'm so, so sorry, Aoife, but we have not come to set you free."  
  
The girl jerked back. "What?"  
  
"I said we didn't come here to rescue the Aeetosians. We...or rather, I...came here looking for a Jedi friend of mine, who is being held by Sidious. Her name is Yaddle. I miss her horribly." He added miserably.  
  
Although stunned, Aoife explained everything to her father. He grunted out of surprise, and then his face became very grim. Yaro was sorry that he couldn't help these people. "I'm so sorry...," he repeated sadly. He hung his head. "I really am."  
  
Versalo walked up, crouched down, and looked straight into Yaro's eyes. He grunted and chirped a few words. Though he didn't understand them, Yaro felt comforted by the sound of the man's words.  
  
"He says he is sorry that one of your clan is in that horrible place. He knows how it feels to have a loved one there, for I was there for almost a year." Aoife listened to her father's words for a moment. "He asks if you love the Jedi in the prison."  
  
Yaro nodded. "She...she had my child in that prison. I can still feel her pain," he whispered softly. Aoife retransmitted the words to Versalo, who smiled sadly. He spoke again; sadly, mournfully, as if he had known Yaddle and Yaro their whole lives.  
  
"My father asks how he can help you, to help you retrieve your loved one."  
  
Yaro's mouth dropped. "W-What?"  
  
"We want to help you find this 'Yaddle'. You seem to care for this woman greatly."  
  
Yaro smiled back, not sure what to say, think, or do. "Thank you...so much." He felt like his heart was going to pound right out of his chest. "You are so kind. I promise, if, no, when we find Sidious and destroy him, I will restore your freedom."  
  
Aoife translated this back to her father, who looked like he was going to explode with happiness. With a sweep of his arm, he bear-hugged the entire group with all his might. "Too...tight!" Yaro yelped, unable to breath. Chuckling, Versalo set them back on the ground and then gestured to the ground.  
  
"Let us eat!" Aoife said loudly. Turning to Yaro and the others, she said, "My father says you may spend the night here, if you wish."  
  
Yaro bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Aoife." Mace, Fulageo, and Rentha did the same. Then they feasted for hours, until Yaro felt he was going to bust. Looking over at Mace, who was still devouring his food by the handful, he said, "You'd best not eat so fast, or you'll have an upset stomach, not to mention hiccups."  
  
Nodding, Mace slowed down, but only a little. "Yes Master." Even when Rentha and Fulageo had finished, they waited for their hosts to finish. But when it began to grow dark and the stars creeped into the sky, Yaro decided to retire to bed. Bowing again to Aoife and Versalo, he said, "It is far past my usual bedtime!"  
  
Aoife nodded. "Yes, you must need your rest. Good night, Master Yaro."  
  
Yaro smiled again, then walked into the hut that Aoife had indicated for him and his comrades to sleep in, sitting down on the furry bed. Although the ground was rough, there were more than enough pelts to mask it and keep him warm. Sleep began to take him, closing his eyelids against his will. He smiled softly. Tomorrow, I will find Yaddle..., he thought softly as he drifted into dreams. Then take her in my arms, and hold her as tight as I possibly can...I'll take her back to Coruscant, with Yiara in my arms...yeah...  
  
*****  
  
"Master Yaro?" A voice was calling out to Yaro, pulling him out of sleep.  
  
"Wha?" Yaro looked up into the eyes of Mace Windu. "Mace? What time is it?"  
  
"It's still a little while till sunrise, I think. Versalo said if we're gonna attack Sidious' fortress, we had best do it as early as possible."  
  
"Oh...yeah...let me get dressed," he mumbled. Mace nodded and walked outside. I hate mornings! Yaro cursed in his mind. As soon as he had dressed, he pushed open the door. Seeing Versalo, in battle armor made from metal scraps, he walked over. "Chief Versalo! Good morning!" That was a lie, Yaro thought.  
  
Versalo, although he hadn't understood a single word, understood the feeling and clapped Yaro on the back heartily, laughing. Yaro chuckled, wishing he had a good cup of Java Juice to wake him up or at least get him going faster.  
  
"Ya ready yet, Jedi?" Yaro turned around and saw Fulageo and Rentha. They had armor on just like Versalo's, but more fitted to their form.  
  
"Ready and willing, just not awake," Yaro said, trying to sound cheerful.  
  
"I take it that Jedi don't do mornings?"  
  
"Not this one. Where's Mace?"  
  
"I'm right here!" Mace emerged from their small hut, dressed in robes a lot like Yaro's, save his coat was a light tan instead of crimson. He wore no scarf, and two sets of shirts under the coat, the first one was brown and the latter white. A leather belt hung on his waist, with his lightsaber hanging on it. His knee-high boots were also leather.  
  
Seeing the confused looks from his friends, he said, "Some of the women thought I should wear something else other than that dirty shirt of mine." Picking at the wool shirts, he added, "They're really comfortable, I'll say that!"  
  
"Ah." Turning back to Versalo and Aoife, he said, "Are we ready? Do you have a plan?"  
  
Aoife nodded, and pulled out a scroll made from tree bark. Spreading it out, she said, "If Mace's information is right, the prison cells are all underground. Mace will guide us to them. We will release the prisoners, then go upwards into the fortress and track down Sidious." Looking down at Yaro, she said, "We are very, very confident of this plan."  
  
Yaro checked over the map a few times and nodded. "That sounds good." Turning to his friends, he said, "What do you say?"  
  
Rentha and Fulageo looked at each other. They smiled and said in unison, "We'll do it." Mace gave Yaro a bright smile. "I'm ready to risk my life, Master Yaro!"  
  
Yaro smiled. He knew he could rely on them. Turning back to Aoife, he said, "Tell Versalo we'll do it!"  
  
Once he had heard this, Versalo put his hands together around his mouth and hooted a few times. All the men and women, all dressed in battle armor and armed with both spears and blasters they must have stolen, leaped from the huts. Versalo waved his arm to the forest, barked out an order, and marched into the forest. Yaro, his friends, Aoife, and the village followed him, watching the sun begin to rise in the horizon. Yaro felt hope rise into his heart again, simply knowing that in less than a day, Yaddle would be safe again and in his arms once again.  
  
***** ~This is the part where you go read Part 10! You know...the 10th part of this insane little fic...just go already, why are you still reading this!? ( 


	10. Part 10

Reflection Saga Part 10  
  
*****  
  
Yaddle tried to push herself off of the floor, but her hands, cracked and worn, slipped. She fell face-first onto the stone tiles. Letting out a small sigh of pain, she didn't move at all. She no longer cared, really. The effort was just too exhausting, for both the body and mind.  
  
She opened her eyes. The blood from her head had dried on her eyelids, and opening them hurt. How odd, she thought sluggishly, that only my eyelids should hurt. Very curious. Sho's tapping could be heard on the other side of the wall, but Yaddle was so tired that she didn't bother to answer or even listen.  
  
Yaddle took in a deep breath, coughing when her expanding lungs collided with her broken ribs. She tried again to lift her body up off the ground, one hand on the floor and one clutching her torso and using the Force to ease her pain-racked muscles. When she had just gotten to her knees, she fell again. For a minute, she panted on the floor, unable to move. Her eyelids began to hurt again. Yaddle wondered why the rest of her body didn't hurt as badly as her untouched eyes.  
  
Maybe it was because all the nerves on her back had been so damaged from the stings of Sidious' whip. She slowly set her head back on the ground, letting a single tear mix with the blood flowing from the now reopened scar on her head. That must be it, she thought before collapsing back into the blackness of unconsciousness.  
  
*****  
  
Yaro trudged through the forest, doing his very best to stay silent. Mace trudged uncertainly behind him, and Yaro could feel that even though the young boy was trying to be brave he was still afraid. To reassure his future Padawan, he grasped the boy's hand in his and squeezed it, sending confidence to the boy. Mace looked down at him and smiled back, greatly appreciating the gesture.  
  
The Jedi Knight smiled back. He had to admire the boy's willingness to brave what most people would have run away from by now. If the Jedi Council allowed him to train Mace, Yaro was sure that the boy would become a wonderful Padawan, and an even better Jedi. He could feel it in his very bones.  
  
Looking forward, he watched the Aeetosian battle group ahead of him march like professionals. All were smiling, and Yaro could feel their presences filled with hope for the freedom and the defeat of Sidious. He smiled, then turned his full attention to Yaddle's presence in the Force.  
  
It was tired and hurt, too exhausted to even acknowledge Yaro's presence, but Yaro could still feel a burning, desire to live flickering there. Although he was glad that small fire still burned, he was terrified that at any given moment it would go out and her presence would be blown away with the wind like smoke.  
  
I'm coming for you, he thought desperately at her and filled the message with hope and bravery, and even though he wasn't sure she could hear his message or take in his feelings. But it never hurt to try.  
  
Suddenly, the dim shadows of the tree's tops were gone and white light exploded like firecrackers as the group walked out into a clearing. Blinking, Yaro held a hand to his eyes to shade them from the light and heat of the twin suns.  
  
Ahead was a hangar with about ten different ships. The shelter was not built, but set into a cave in the side of a huge mountain. "That leads to the prison cells!" Mace whispered excitedly, and Yaro felt his heart almost soar. Soon, oh so soon, he would hold Yaddle in his arms again. He'd never let her out of his sight again, he swore in his mind.  
  
Shaking his head, Yaro whistled gently for the Aeetosians to stop. Walking up to Aoife and Versalo, he said, "We shouldn't take in a huge group; I want you and your warriors to stay here." He pulled a small but harmless smoke bomb out his pocket. "When you hear this go off and/or see the smoke, then you come inside. Understand?"  
  
Aoife translated the order back to her father, who nodded in agreement. Yaro nodded back at him, and then waved for Fulageo, Rentha, and Mace to follow him into the hangar. While the Aeetosians creeped back into the safe shadows of the forest, the raiders crept slowly into the hangar. Yaro put his sixth senses of the Force into full alert, groping every single corner for a presence. No one but he and his friends were near the ships or in the hall leading to the prisoners.  
  
Pulling out his lightsaber, Yaro ignited it and signaled for Mace to do the same. The combination of their blades made the metal ships glow eerily. Fulageo and Rentha pulled out their blasters, ready to shoot anything that moved, with deadly accuracy and experience to back them up. The group of four moved forward with Yaro in the lead. Holding it in a stable, two-handed grip, Yaro walked slowly down the hall. "Where now Mace?" he whispered when they came to a fork in the path.  
  
Mace pointed down the right lane. "That way; I'm sure of it." Yaro nodded and the group walked swiftly, but silently, down the corridor. Suddenly, at least four dozen doors came into view. Every single one was locked with at least three heavy locks. "Mace! How do we get in them!?" Fulageo growled softly.  
  
Smirking cockily, Mace pulled out two small laser keys. Walking up to the front door, he slowly raised one laser over the security devices. As soon as the laser came into contact, the locks swung open. Pulling open the door, an old Sullustan male was revealed. His mouse-like eyes squinted in the light. Clearly terrified, the alien backed up against the wall.  
  
Yaro waved towards him. "No, do not be afraid! We're here to save you all!" He whispered as Rentha and Fulageo guarded both sides of the hallway. Although astonished and near tears, the Sullustan picked himself up and ran stiffly to the door, embracing Yaro and Mace in a tight hug and muttering his thanks in his own language.  
  
Pointing to the hangar, Mace said, "If you go that way, you'll meet our friends; they'll protect you if you say that you came from Yaro." Nodding furiously, tears streaming down his folded face, the prisoner raced down the corridor down the hangar with amazing speed. Tossing a key to Yaro and turning to the door behind him, Mace opened it and said to the prisoner, "You're free, the Jedi are here! Go now!"  
  
Yaro did the same, opening the doors on his side of the hall. "This is your chance to escape! Leave and head out of the hangar!"  
  
Not a single prisoner hesitated, bounding out of the door and to the hangar. Mace and Yaro made their ways down the hall, unlocking the doors and telling the captives the good news. Yaro's heart throbbed with pity; some had been as old as his grandfather, others had children Mace's age or less with them, and some of the children had no one at all. When he came to the second to last door, he swung it open, his heart filled with hope to find his love.  
  
But instead, he found an elderly man of his own race sitting cross- legged on the floor. Yaro was reminded of Yoda during one of his meditations. The man stared back at him and said in a tired but strong voice, "Oh, you must be Yaro. I've heard a lot about you, young Jedi."  
  
Yaro started. "How do you know my name?"  
  
The old man picked himself up off the floor. "Yaddle, of course." His bronze eyes took on a brighter light. "And from other things..." He smiled crookedly, holding out his hand. "Nice to finally meet another Jedi."  
  
"Jedi?" Although something was tugging at his mind, Yaro took his hand. "How do you know Yaddle?"  
  
"We've been talking for a while by Morse code. I was there when she went into labor with your daughter, actually. You may call me Sho."  
  
Yaro smiled just as crookedly. "Thank you for helping her, Sho. But where is she?" The old Jedi pointed to the next door. "In there. You'd best hurry; she's very weak." Yaro nodded and ran over to unlock the door. Swinging it open, he had to use all his strength not to collapse.  
  
In the dark shadows lay Yaddle, her back to him. Her clothes, ripped, filthy, and stained with blood, hung on her wounded body. Her back, still bleeding on some parts, showed how horribly she had been abused and beaten. Crying out, Yaro ran over and fell to his knees. Cradling Yaddle in his arms, he shook her as gently as he possibly could. His fingers could feel the raspy raise and fall of her lungs, the slow, dull beat of her heart, and the fractures and splinters of her bones. Her eyelids, caked with blood, did not open to greet him and fill him with the warmth he needed so desperately. The aura that had always shone so brightly began to fade away.  
  
Yaro pulled her rat's nest of a mane out of her face, peeling off some of the dried blood on her face. "Yaddle! Yaddle, please wake up! Please, don't die!" When she did not answer, he began to sob quietly, even though Sho, Fulageo, Rentha, and Mace were in the doorway. "Yaddle...please..." he whispered, desperate. He couldn't have made it this far, suffered through so much, just to find her dead! No! Yaro lifted her to his breast, rocking her and praying that by some miracle she would awaken, smiling the shy smile of hers that could light an entire room.  
  
He tried to call her name again, but it came out a sob of rage and utter loss. His shoulders shook violently as he moaned. Rentha came forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't touch me!" Yaro screamed and shoved his friend's hand off of him, not caring if the entire planet heard him, and yet he wished it didn't. He wanted the entire universe to know how much pain filled him. But he wanted to hide it form everyone and drown silently in his despair and horror. "Don't touch me! Don't touch me..." Yaro's voice broke again, the words coming out a hoarse whisper. "Leave me alone...just go..."  
  
Yaro felt Rentha back slowly out of the room. He heard the door creak as Fulageo closed it, heard Mace ask if they should leave him. He heard Sho tell Mace how hard it was to lose someone, as if the wizened Jedi knew what Yaro was going through. But that was impossible, Yaro thought. No one, no one, knows how I am feeling! "Just kill me...just make this pain end..." he whispered to no one in particular. His heart was being consumed by a black, bottomless hole where Yaddle's presence had once been. His boundless grief threatened to overwhelm him and destroy him. But if it ended this pain...so be it.  
  
Suddenly, a cracked hand touched his tear-streaked face. "Yaro?" Yaddle's voice wheezed against her broken ribs. Shocked, Yaro opened his bronze-green eyes to meet her soft yellow ones. "Yaro?" Yaddle repeated, her voice hoarse from crying out. "Is that you? Or am I dreaming again?" Tears pushed themselves out of her swollen and blood-caked eyes.  
  
Yaro tried his best not to cry himself. But he might as well pull both of the twin stars with his ship alone. "No, it isn't a dream, Yaddle!" Oh, how he had longed to say that name to her again! To grasp her tightly, smell her sweet hair, feel her delicate skin, touch her glimmering presence in the Force! "It's really me, I've come for you! I'm here, Yaddle, I'm here!"  
  
Yaddle blinked slowly, and Yaro could feel that small flame in her aura begin to burn brighter like it once did. "You came for me...I knew you would...," she whispered softly, more to herself than him. Closing her eyes, she snuggled against his vest. "I missed you so, but I knew you would come for me. I just knew you would come."  
  
Yaro held her tighter, kissing her forehead despite the blood and dirt. He wanted this moment to last forever; just the two of them, holding on to each other. After a few seconds passed, he came back to his sense. Shaking her lightly, he cooed, "Yaddle, we're going to leave now. You have to wake up, my love."  
  
Yaddle eyes fluttered back open, gazing back up at him as he picked her up carefully. "Wait!" She grabbed his shirt ferociously, a desperate look on her face. "Where's Yiara, our child! Boy gave her to you, right?"  
  
"Yes, Boy, or Mace now, gave her to me, no need to worry! She's safe and sound on the Playtoy. I'll take you to her soon."  
  
Comforted with the knowledge she was in her hero's arms and her child was alright, Yaddle sighed and hugged Yaro tighter than she ever had. "I love you, Yaro."  
  
"I know; how could I ever forget? Guys! Let me out, she's alive! Open the damned door!"  
  
Yaddle chuckled softly. "You shouldn't swear, my love!" She scolded.  
  
Yaro smiled impishly. "You, dear, are in no shape to be chewing me out!" The door opened to a very stunned foursome. On seeing Yaddle, Mace cried out, "She's alive!" and began to jump up and down. Sho smiled softly. "You two really love each other, don't ya?"  
  
Blushing from embarrassment, Yaro nodded. Yaddle laughed and nestled closer to his body. "Yes, we do," she murmured. Looking back up at Yaro, she said, "Put me down. It's about time I give these legs a little more exercise!"  
  
Yaro looked at her, general concern in his face. "You sure you're up to it?" He wasn't sure if she was well enough to stand or walk. He was sure they were going to have to run for it sooner or later.  
  
"Yes! Put me down!" Yaro obediently her down and she winced as her feet came into contact with the hard floor and supported her weight. Taking a few steps, she said confidently, "Well, let's go!" Yaro smiled and held her hand as the group walked down the hall together to the hangar.  
  
Yaddle winced as the harsh double suns' light blasted her eyes, blinking as she walked outside. Yaro noticed that one of the Aeetosians held Yiara. Not really caring how they had gotten inside his ship, Yaro was just glad that his little family was back together. The rest of the prisoners, young and old, healthy and sick, waved as the rescuers came outside. Yaro waved back and looked back at Yaddle. His heart was now happier than it had ever been. Her very presence filled him with a touch that he simply could not describe. "Wait a second. Rentha, Fulageo?"  
  
The two bounty hunters looked curiously down at the elfin Jedi. "What?"  
  
"Do have explosives?"  
  
"Depends on what ya wanna blow up, Jedi!"  
  
"How about this building. All of it. Every single rock."  
  
Rentha and Fulageo looked at each other, then grinned cruelly. Each reached into their belts, pants pockets, and coats and pulled out at least a dozen thermal detonators. Yaro smirked. "That'll work." Taking them from his friends, he ran back into the hangar and placed them near a refueling station. Pressing all of them, he raced back down the valley to his friends, pointing to the trees. "Prepare for the biggest fireworks show any of you have ever seen!"  
  
"Duck and cover!" Sho screamed as everyone ran into the trees, either dropping to the dirt or hiding behind the biggest tree they could find. Yaro grabbed his tiny daughter from the warrior who held her and held both his child and love to him, diving behind a ten-foot-wide tree. He clamped down on his ears, preparing for the aftershocks.  
  
And then the whole world seemed to explode around him. The sound of the thermal detonators' explosions meeting the oil drowned out all sound for almost a full minute, followed by the violent series of aftershocks.  
  
Then Yaro began to hear the panicked sound of his daughter shrieking in fear, the sound of the huge fortress of the last Sith Lord collapsing on top of itself, the sound of the prisoners and natives murmuring, then cheering when they saw the abomination fall. Yaro looked back at Yaddle, and smiled, giving their squalling child to her. Walking back out to the clearing, he addressed Versalo and Aoife. "Thank you so much for helping us rescue Yaddle. I'll never forget your kindness."  
  
Aoife smiled. "It is the least we can do. If you simply tell the Senate about our race, the debt will be repaid."  
  
"Then that's what I'll do! You might even become a Senator yourself, Aoife!"  
  
"That could very well happen; it's a very strange universe, after all!" The two laughed. "I should be getting the prisoners to Coruscant then, I suppose," Yaro said. Aoife nodded in agreement. "Farewell, Jedi Knight Yaro. Fly well, and may your life be blessed."  
  
Yaro bowed, and signaled for his friends and the prisoners to follow him to the Playtoy. As he marched to his ship, he looked back one more time to see the Aeetosians, all smiling and waving at him. He waved back, certain that he and Yaddle would see them again in the future.  
  
When he had reached Yaro's Playtoy, Arthree-Denine bleeped and whistled happily, apparently glad to see Yaro again. "Open up, Arthree! We've got some friends along for the ride!" The hatch opened and Yaro hustled everyone inside. Once everyone was either seated on a bunk, seat, or the floor, he closed the hatch, walked over to the cockpit, and sat down in the pilot's seat, with Yaddle in the copilot's chair and Yiara sleeping once again in her arms. Spying a discarded blanket on the floor, he Force- pulled it to him and draped it around Yaddle's bruised and battered shoulders. Smiling, he took her hand in his, squeezing it tightly. "Are you ready to go home?"  
  
"As long as I am with you, I am already home," she replied, returning the grip. Yaro smiled broader. This is where he belonged. Flipping on the switches, Yaro felt the starship come to life. "We're going to Coruscant, folks! Let's go!" All of the passengers cheered as the Playtoy broke through the atmosphere. Yaro set the coordinates for Coruscant and the stars metamorphosed from bright dots into streaking lights as the blasted into hyperspace. Yaro sighed, settling in his chair, taking Yaddle's hand in his once more. After an entire year of searching, he was going home.  
  
*****  
  
Far away from where the others were, a place called Wayland, something deep underground awakened. A clone, an exact replica of Darth Sidious, but with a small difference between the two; this clone had yellow eyes.  
  
The moment that his fortress had collapsed on top of him, Sidious' memories had surged into this new clone's brain, forever fixing the Sith Lord's past into his mind and soul.  
  
As he climbed out of the tank that had been holding him till Sidious' death, the new-and-improved Sidious reflected on his host's past, and smiled evilly. He would not make the same mistakes that the original Sidious had.  
  
Oh no...He would by far do better.  
  
*****  
  
"Be one with the Force. Help you it will." Yoda was instructing a clan of younglings through their morning exercises of lifting small to medium objects with the Force. "Do not think. Feel."  
  
Hearing a sigh, Yoda looked out of the corner of his eye to locate the sound. A young boy, a new one Yoda mused, quickly became frustrated when he was unable to lose himself in the Force and pick the small stone in front of him. But, obviously not satisfied with giving up, the youngling tried again. To his utter joy, he was successful; the rock began to rise a centimeter at a time into the air. Yoda could feel that the boy was really quite pleased with himself, nudging the girl next to him to show her his handiwork. Both smiled and giggled behind their hands. Yoda chuckled, amused with the innocent scene unfolding before him.  
  
But the chuckle quickly became a sigh as he realized how much the two crèches were like Yaddle and Yaro, when they had first met. He frowned. It had been a full year now, if not more. Many Jedi were certain that Yaddle was dead, and that Yaro was also so or would keep looking for her till the ends of his days. He hated to say it, but sometimes Yoda agreed. He was worried that, like Yaro's father, he had lost his grandson and perhaps would never see him again.  
  
"Master Yoda?" Yoda turned to face Jocasta Nu, who was standing in the doorway, a shocked and yet utterly thrilled expression on her face.  
  
"Yes, Jocasta Nu?"  
  
"Uh, you should come to the hangar, Master! Quickly!"  
  
Yoda scowled at the teenager's impatience. "Why?"  
  
"It's Yaro! HE'S BACK! And Yaddle is with him!"  
  
Yoda's eyes popped out to their full extent. "What?" But Jocasta Nu had already left, running for the hangar bay. Yoda could see many other Jedi either trotting or full-out running for the hangar. Could it be true? To find out only one way, he decided. Reaching into the Force, he sought out both Yaddle and Yaro's auras in the Force. To his utter shock, there they were; coming into the hangar bay! But they weren't alone; almost five dozen other people were with him. One of the auras shined brightly, obviously very Force-sensitive. Yoda noted that one presence was very, very small...and yet it strongly reminded him of both Yaro and Yaddle. A second presence simply stunned him; it was rippling like water in the Force. He had not felt that aura since... "Younglings. Stay here, and practice until I return."  
  
"Yes Master Yoda," was the reply. Yoda nodded, and then summoned his hoverchair to him. Sitting on it, Yoda quickly floated down the corridors down to the hangar bay.  
  
When he arrived, Yoda was stunned to see Yaro's ship, the sleek, ovular Yaro's Playtoy, on the platform coming back inside the Temple. Almost fifty other Jedi awaited the arrival of Yaro, Yaddle, and whomever they had brought with them. The hatch opened and forty-eight disheveled people walked out. All of them looked very tired and filthy, but their presences shined with glee and sheer joy. Some of them looked like they would cry aloud from delight.  
  
From behind them came a young Human boy and two scruffy looking adults, one a Twi'lek female and the other a Human male. Looking at the boy, Yoda could sense that he was very strong in the Force. But he forgot this as the last of the passengers emerged.  
  
It was Yaro and Yaddle (who seemed to be cradling something), and with them an older looking man, the man who Yoda realized was the ripple in the Force he had felt earlier. His eyes widened to their full size. Could it be?  
  
The instant they saw Yaddle and Yaro, all the Jedi applauded and cheered. Spying Yoda, the pair made their way through the crowd and stood in front of him. Yaro inhaled and bowed. "Master Yoda...I did what I said I would."  
  
Yoda glanced at Yaddle. She was filthy, her clothes hanging off her undernourished, bruised, and bloody body. But she was still very much alive. "Yes, yes...you did, Yaro. Bring Yaddle home, you did." He noted a small bundle of cloth in Yaddle's home. "What is that?"  
  
Yaro and Yaddle grinned impishly at each other, sharing a secret between them. "Why don't you look and see?" Yaro suggested, taking the bundle from Yaddle and placing it in Yoda's arms. Slightly confused, even curious, Yoda poked it gently. To his surprise, it moved, and a small grunt sounded from the bundle. The other Jedi and passengers gathered round; the passengers with smug, knowing looks on their faces and the Jedi with interested, questioning looks on theirs.  
  
Yoda threw a confused glance at the young couple next to him, and pulled at the cloth, pulling it away from whatever was inside. It was a child; a newborn girl of Yoda's species. Some of the Jedi gasped and others wowed. Shocked, Yoda looked over at Yaddle and Yaro. Seeing the proud looks on their faces and their hands interlocked in the others, he suddenly understood. "Your child, this is?"  
  
His face beginning to color, Yaro nodded. The old man walked over and put a hand on Yaro's shoulder. "You bet, Master Yoda! You're looking at your great-granddaughter, Yiara, there." The old man smiled. "And my first granddaughter, too."  
  
Yoda scowled, mystified by the man's appearance, sound, and presence. And then it all made since. He smiled and said quietly, "Yosho?"  
  
Yaro gasped, caught off guard. "M-m-my father? But how?"  
  
Ignoring the question, Yosho said calmly to Yoda, "I wondered when you would figure it out, my father!"  
  
Yoda smiled and took his adopted son in his free arm. "Yosho! Been so, so, so, long it has!" Looking Yosho over, he said, "Thought you dead, I did! Where have you been, all this time?"  
  
Yosho chuckled and smiled lopsidedly, the grin that Yaro had inherited. "It's a very long and complicated tale..." he looked at Yaddle and the other prisoners, "But I think my fellow captives need medical attention; Yaddle especially."  
  
*****  
  
"And so, Sidious has kept me there for over two centuries after killing my wife." Turning to Yaro, Yosho said to his son, "You had been playing, away from camp, that day. I felt your presence cease to exist, and I was sure that you had been killed. But I never would have guessed you only suffered amnesia!" Clapping his son on the back, he said proudly, "You have no idea how pleased I am with you, my son."  
  
Yaro smiled sadly, seeming like he was going to break. "Father..." He collapsed into Yosho's arms, clutching his sire tightly. "If I had known...I would have gone to look for you..."  
  
Yosho smiled and hugged his son. "Yes, but you couldn't have known. It is not your fault." Looking into the medical room's windows, he said, "But right now, I think you need to go talk with Yaddle for a while."  
  
Nodding, Yaro rose and walked into the infirmary. Yoda and Yosho stayed behind, Yoda still holding Yiara. Looking into the window, watching Yaro and Yaddle talking, Yoda said, "Conceived a child together, these two did? How?"  
  
Yosho smiled puckishly. "The usual way, I hope!" Laughing, he said, "I guess they 'connected' before Yaddle's abduction! Though I do wonder how it got past your nose, Master Yoda!"  
  
Yoda scowled. "Changed at all, you have not, Yosho!" Looking down at the sleeping baby in his arms, he said, "Have a child, and remain Jedi, they cannot. Know this you do, Yosho."  
  
Nodding understandingly, Yosho said quietly, "The Force knows those two need each other. Hell, at first chance, they're going to get married. You know this as much as I do."  
  
Yoda grimaced; the thought of losing both Yaro and Yaddle was disturbing. "To lose them hard it will be." Looking back into the window, he could feel the love radiating from them; a very powerful thing was true love. "Sit on the Jedi Council both of them could."  
  
Yosho snorted and leaned back into his chair. "Then let them stay in the Order; they are powerful and wise Jedi, both of them. To lose them would be the most foolish thing I have heard of in my entire life!"  
  
Yoda snorted right back at his son and said, "Forbids it, the Code does. Marry, they cannot."  
  
"But they have already had a child, Yoda! And you can see as much as I can that they love each other." Yosho stood up. "And if you cannot, then you are no longer the Jedi Master you used to be." Then he walked down the hall, leaving Yoda alone, save for Yiara, who was now whining to be fed and spoken to. Forgetting his argument with Yosho, Yoda coaxed to his granddaughter, "It is alright, little one. No need to fuss."  
  
Yiara evidently disagreed, and began to cry. But Yoda only smiled; where most Jedi Masters cringed, he specialized. He settled Yiara on his shoulder, rubbing her back gently. "Now, now. It is alright, Yiara," he cooed softly, sending comfort and reassurance to her.  
  
Her crying reduced to tiny sniffles, Yiara nuzzled her nose into Yoda's cloak, and hiccupped. Startled by her own body's actions, she froze. Yoda chuckled and brought her down to rest in his arms. "Only a hiccup, it is, Yiara," he said gently. "Nothing to be afraid of."  
  
Soothed by the soft words of her elder, Yiara sniffed again and reached up, trying to reach his face with her tiny fingers, only the size of a human's pinky toes. Patiently, Yoda bent his face downward and allowed Yiara to inspect his face by prodding his wrinkled skin, patting his cheeks, and pulling with all her might on his ears. Laughing softly, Yoda removed her strong little grip from his ear, finding it to be a challenge. "Ooh, going to be strong, you are, little one!"  
  
Yoda sat back, relaxing into the chair. Swiveling his head around, he watched Yiara's parents speaking to each other. A medical droid swiveled over and gave Yaddle a shot to help her sleep. Within minutes, she slept and Yaro simply watched her, before he fell asleep face-first on the nightstand next to the bed. He smiled, then frowned as he thought of the two Jedi, together, as a couple. They would not be allowed to continue to be Jedi. They would leave to be together; he knew it. Closing his eyes and stroking Yiara's head, he let himself go into the Force to solve such a disturbing and perplexing problem.  
  
***** 


	11. Part 11

Reflection Saga: Part 11  
  
*****  
  
Yaddle opened her eyes, with no pain at all, now that the blood had been removed from her eyelids. Gazing around the infirmary, she watched all the other prisoners sleeping. Looking out of the window, she guessed it was morning from the darkness. It had been evening when she had been drugged by Three-ninebee.  
  
Hearing a small but sharp snort, she jumped out of reflex. Looking to her right, she relaxed. It was Yaro, face-down on the desk, snoring like a little child. She smiled. That was mostly why she loved him so much; he was just so childish, juvenile, and immature that it was appealing. The twinkle in his eye, the twinkle that was so full of intensity, joy, and mischief, was captivating. And the fact that that twinkle shined for her gave her cold chills.  
  
Yaro snorted again and she almost laughed. He was so charming...in an annoying, irritating kind of way. Reaching out, she tapped him lightly on his head. "Yaro? Are you awake, Yaro?"  
  
Grunting, Yaro jerked awake, looking sleepily over at Yaddle. "What? Oh, Yaddle, you woke up!"  
  
"I didn't, really; it was your snoring that did that."  
  
"Oh," he said, blushing with embarrassment. "Sorry." He pulled his face off of the desk and sat up. "How are you feeling, Yaddle?"  
  
She looked herself over; her entire chest was bandaged and her head was shaved so they could dress and stitch it. The bandages itched horribly, and she couldn't do a thing about it.  
  
Over all, she felt rather horrible.  
  
"I feel perfectly fine," She fibbed.  
  
He laughed, unbelieving. "You, my love, are a HORRIBLE liar! You're in pain, aren't you?"  
  
"Alright! You are right; I feel awful. These bandages and stitches itch, I've been drugged, and my wounds burn unpleasantly." She sighed. "But I can't complain; I could be in a much, much more worse situation." Yaddle looked back up at Yaro, smiling. "You're my knight in shining armor, you know."  
  
Yaro smirked mischievously. "Not me! I'm no hero," He said, laughing lightly. "I just came for you, to be truthful." He looked around the room, at the rest of the refugees resting in their beds. "Didn't expect to find my father, my baby, and a ship full of prisoners!"  
  
Yaddle nodded in agreement. "Yes, but it was a plus, I think. It is the will of the Force, after all." She took his hand in both of hers, squeezing it affectionately. "I am very glad you found your father again. After spending a year with him, I have come to know him as a very honorable and high-quality Jedi. You are a lot like him, in more ways than you think, Yaro."  
  
Smiling, Yaro squeezed back. "I missed you. More than you'll ever know." Suddenly, Yaddle felt a great weakness rise up in his voice, his body, and his very soul. It frightened her a little; she always knew him to be so stubborn and intense that it made him successful in everything he did. "I almost lost you, you and Yosho and Yiara, all of you." His grip trembled, and Yaddle had the distinct feeling that this could be the first time he had admitted this to anyone in over a year, if not the entire time they had known each other. His eyes began to glisten, and Yaddle wondered if he was reliving her kidnapping and the entire year of searching afterwards all over again.  
  
She tried to reassure him, though she felt on the edge of breaking down herself. "But you didn't, Yaro. We're here, and it's because you did not give up!" She patted his hand like a parent would to comfort a distressed child.  
  
Yaro's eyes lit up, like coming out of a trance, and he said, "Yeah, you're right. We're all here, and that's all that matters, right?" Standing up, but still holding Yaddle's hand, he said, "I should let you rest more; I'm keeping you from healing."  
  
"Don't leave!" She said urgently, a hint of desperation in her voice. He quickly rushed back, taking her hands back in his. "Don't leave," she repeated. "Just stay here, and hold me."  
  
"I won't leave then," he whispered as he sat on the bed, leaning on the wall to let Yaddle rest her head on his chest. "I'm never leaving you again...I promise." Yaddle grinned softly, letting herself fall into his presence, feeling his belly rise and fall with each breath, listened to his soft breathing and whispers of things to come. A place of warmth it was.  
  
*****  
  
Later that day, Yaro stood in front of the Jedi Council. Yaddle was still in the recovery room, Yiara with her. Yosho, Mace, Rentha, and Fulageo were somewhere out on the veranda of the Temple. The refugees were at the Senate building, trying to find families, friends, and homes.  
  
Yaro had requested to speak to the Jedi Council that morning, to ask them if he could train Mace Windu. He stood in front of them, remembering when he had first stood in front of them when he had been nothing more than a worthless street thief, wanting to reclaim his identity and survive one day to perhaps die the next.  
  
Most of the faces weren't the ones who had decided on his fate, but Hismonia and Yoda remained. He took great relief in knowing they were there.  
  
"We have heard of your heroics, Yaro," Hismonia said quietly. She was getting old, and would probably retire from the Council in a few years. "You have proven yourself to be very brave...but there are several matters that cannot be ignored."  
  
Yaro swallowed, knowing what was coming next. He had been dreading this since he had gotten back. His past actions were coming back to haunt him; his affair with Yaddle, had a child, and illegally left Coruscant.  
  
There was no way he was going to get out of this one.  
  
"Is it true you had a physical relationship with Jedi Knight Yaddle?" Hismonia asked, her voice hard and stern.  
  
"Yes, it is true, Master," Yaro said. To his amazement, his voice was full of pride, not a hint of shame in his tone.  
  
"And it is also true that the two of you conceived a child?"  
  
"That is also true, Master." Nope. No dishonor there either.  
  
"And, finally, did you leave Coruscant when you had been ordered not to, under any circumstances?" She finished.  
  
Yaro flinched at this; he knew that this crime could get the Playtoy confiscated. Inwardly, he snarled. Over my dead and rotting body. "Yes, Master. I did."  
  
Hismonia sighed heavily; she had almost wished that it hadn't been true. "Where is your child..."  
  
"Yiara."  
  
"Yiara. Where is she now?"  
  
"In the medical room. With her mother."  
  
Understanding, Hismonia leaned back into her chair. "I see." She looked towards the door, out to the veranda where Mace and Yosho were talking. "I have heard that you found not only your father, but an apprentice?"  
  
Yaro straightened up; this was what he had called this meeting for. "Yes, his name is Mace Windu. Although he was trained by Sidious, he is pure, innocent. He is very powerful in the Force, though inexperienced and in need of a teacher." He inhaled, preparing himself. "He is older than most, but I think he should be trained."  
  
Yoda closed his eyes in deep thought for a moment, then popped them back open. "How old is this Mace?"  
  
"About six or seven, I believe, Master."  
  
Yoda frowned. "Old...but powerful. Incredibly strong in the Force is he."  
  
Yaro's ears perked up, eager and hopeful. "So will he be trained?"  
  
Yoda and Hismonia looked at each other and all other eyes looked at them. Turning back to Yaro, Hismonia said, "We tested him earlier, and he did incredibly well for someone not trained in the ways of the Jedi." She paused, then turned to Yoda.  
  
Yoda looked down at the floor, in deep thought, putting all of his utmost attention on the problem. Yaro fought the urge to fidget; it would have been a lie if he had said that he wasn't nervous, for both him and Mace alike.  
  
Yoda finally tore his gaze from the floor and said softly, "A Padawan, he will become...but not yours."  
  
Hismonia nodded, accepting Yoda's decision. Looking down the Yaro, she said, "You, along with Mace, Yaddle, Yosho, and your child, will meet with us again, later today. We will continue this discussion then. May the Force be with you."  
  
Yaro bowed respectfully and walked out of the room, then ran over to his friends to tell them the good news.  
  
*****  
  
Yaddle sat upright on her bed, positioning herself and Yiara more comfortably. They were alone in the medical room, and Yiara had decided it was dinner time. Yiara moaned in disagreement with the movement, kicking out of reflex. But it was a powerful kick, for a babe who was barely even the height of a Human's ankle. Yaddle chuckled, taking the small foot in her hand and tickling the bottom of it with her fingers.  
  
Yiara shrieked happily and loudly and Yaddle laughed. "My! You are certainly loud for such a tiny child, my youngling." Yiara didn't give a second thought to her mother's words, deciding to concentrate on her supper instead. Yaddle chuckled softly, stroking the misplaced reddish-brown hairs on her child's head.  
  
There was a knock on the door. Before Yaddle could cover herself up, Yaro had walked in. "Oh, it's just you, Yaro," she breathed.  
  
Yaro made a mock act of hurt and offense. "'Just me'? Yaddle, I'm crushed!"  
  
Yaddle only laughed again. "Oh, you'll live! So, how was your meeting with the Council?"  
  
His face showing not just one, but a variety of expressions, like he couldn't decide on just one, Yaro walked over the bed and sat down on the edge. "Mace will be trained-" "That's wonderful! He will be a great Padawan, I am sure."  
  
"-but not by me. Someone else is going to train him."  
  
"Oh." Seeing something on Yaro's face, something being held back and caged, Yaddle pressed on, becoming confused. "Is there more, Yaro?" She watched his face curiously. A look of worry and dread came over it, and she felt it pulse strongly in his presence.  
  
Yaro sighed. "I'm in ALOT of trouble, Yaddle." He held up his hands and ticked off his crimes one by one. "Our affair, having a child, disobeying the Council, and left Coruscant against my orders." He let his hands droop and his face followed it. "Yaddle...I could quite possibly be expelled from the Jedi Order. They seem fairly upset, and I do not blame them in the slightest bit. You know as well as I do that the Code forbids marriage between Jedi."  
  
Yaddle sighed in frustration. "Yes, yes, I know." She grunted in anger and confusion, shoving herself backwards into her pillow. Yaro laughed at her aggravated antics and sat down by her side, stroking her arm with a finger. The action, though small, was very comforting.  
  
"Don't worry, Yaddle," he murmured. "Everything will come out all right. You'll see." He rubbed her arms lovingly and gently, making her feel very comfortable and drowsy. She looked down at Yiara, seeing her napping once again. Her toes clutched at thin air, wriggling in her sleep. Yaro chortled and slid his finger into her palm. Reflexively, Yiara's tiny fingers clasped it tightly. "She's tough," Yaro said quietly, so he wouldn't disturb her.  
  
"Well, she is your daughter, after all."  
  
Yaro smiled lopsidedly, as usual. "Actually, I think she gets it from you, Yaddle." He looked over at a clock, checking the time. "It's almost time for us to meet with the Council."  
  
Yaddle sat up, pulling her sheets with her. "All right. Just give me a moment, and I will meet you outside."  
  
Yaro nodded and walked outside to wait. Yaddle reached up and pulled off her scarf, wrapping it around Yiara's tiny body. The baby moaned in her sleep, waving her short arms irritably. Yaddle comforted her, both with thoughts and whispers, and said, "Time for us to decide our future, little one."  
  
*****  
  
Mace stood outside of the Jedi Council room with Yosho, waiting for Yaro and Yaddle to come. Despite himself, he fidgeted with anxiety and impatience.  
  
Yosho, noticing the Padawan's nervousness, put his small hand on Mace's shoulder and said, "You need to learn to control your emotions, and your patience, Padawan Windu."  
  
Blushing as red as Darellian fire crab, Mace stopped squirming and said, "Yes, Master Yosho."  
  
Now it was Yosho's turn to blush. "I am no longer a Jedi Master." Mace could feel a bit of embarrassment, or possibly shame, leaking out from the old man's inward defenses.  
  
"How come?"  
  
Yosho looked at him sadly. "Because I chose to leave, to live with Yaro's mother. Jedi are not allowed to marry or have any attachments."  
  
Mace snickered. "But that doesn't make sense! Where do the little Jedi come from, then?"  
  
Yosho's face was overcome with surprise and shock, then was absorbed by a curious, crooked smile. "You know, I have never thought of it like that!" Both Master and Padawan laughed together. But the uneasy silence returned in minutes, and with it came Mace's worries. "Sir?"  
  
"Yosho. Just Yosho, Padawan."  
  
"Oh, okay. Yosho?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"If Jedi can't love...why do Yaddle and Yaro love each other? Isn't that breaking the rules?"  
  
Yosho frowned heavily, making himself a mirror image of Yoda. "Yes, it is. And they are in trouble with the Council because of it." His frown increased. "They could quite possibly be expelled from the Jedi Order because of it."  
  
"That's not good," Mace blurted out before he could stop it. But Yosho only smiled and said, "Yes, it is." The scowl returned to Yosho's face. "But I do not agree with the Council with their decision."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because nothing happens by chance; everything happens by the will of the Force." Mace nodded. He had already heard this from Yaro, but he didn't mind hearing the advice again. "And I am SURE it was the will of the Force for these two to fall in love. But they never think outside the Code, and that, I believe, is their ultimate weakness."  
  
Mace was a little taken aback. From what he had been told, most Jedi considered the Masters to be the best Jedi Knights there were. "How, Yosho?"  
  
"They refuse to think outside the Code, to try new things, think new ideas." Yosho sighed, and he suddenly appeared much, much older to Mace. "They see the lust between Yaro and Yaddle and realize how much they love each other, but because it is against the rules they will not allow it." He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, saying no more.  
  
Mace did likewise, pondering on what he had just heard. He did think it was unfair that Yaddle and Yaro could be expelled from the Jedi Order, but rules were there for a reason, weren't they? His head began to ache with confusion. He hoped he would never have to deal with these kinds of problems, like the Jedi Council did.  
  
He felt three familiar presences approach and opened his eyes. Sure enough, it was Yaddle, Yaro, and Yiara. Yosho, too, opened his eyes and straightened his posture. "Where have you two been, eh?"  
  
"Around and about. A lot of the Padawans and Jedi wanted to speak with us and see Yiara," Yaro said. He laughed. "Yiara's got quite a fan club going for her!"  
  
Mace walked over and tickled Yiara's ribs. "That's cause she's the cutest Jedi in the entire Temple, right Yiara?" Yiara yelled gleefully at Mace, trying to squirm out of Mace's reach. Mace giggled and only prodded further, receiving louder shrieks.  
  
Yaro laughed, but then stopped. He became much more serious, his posture stiffening, his facial expression turning stern. "We need to meet with the Council now."  
  
"Yes, Master Yaro." Mace flushed with pride, even though Yaro was not his mentor. He wished that he had been paired with Yaro; he didn't like the idea of training under a complete stranger.  
  
He walked in the back of the group as the group walked into the chamber of the Jedi Council. All the Jedi Masters that had tested Mace sat there, all looking quite somber and focused. Mace wished he could sense what they were feeling, but their minds were completely shut off from him. But he was fairly sure that they could read his thoughts like an open book.  
  
Mace bowed respectfully when the others did, just as Yaro had taught him. The Masters nodded at them, signaling for the meeting to begin. "Master Yaro, Master Yaddle? Step forward, please," Hismonia said.  
  
The two Jedi did as they were instructed, stepping a few steps closer to the Master. Hismonia drew in air, then said, "You have both broken the Code of the Jedi. This cannot go without notice, nor without punishment. You do understand this?"  
  
"Yes, Master," said Yaro and Yaddle together. Mace admired their courage and strength; he felt that if he had faced the same situation, he would have crumbled. But both Yaddle and Yaro stood strong, like stone pillars in a raging sea. He wondered if Yaro could teach him that...if Yaro was even allowed to remain a Jedi.  
  
Hismonia leaned back in her orange-cushioned chair. For a minute, no one spoke. Breaking the eerie silence, Hismonia said, "May I see the child, Yiara?"  
  
Yaddle glanced for a split second at Yaro, then walked forward and handed Yiara to Hismonia. Holding her like the babe was pure glass, the Twi'lek gazed down at the tiny child, who had just awoken from her nap. Suddenly realizing she was in unfamiliar arms, Yiara instinctively froze, staring nervously up into Hismonia's eyes.  
  
Hismonia, giving up her charade of seriousness, chuckled softly and stroked Yiara's head, cooing, "Hello, youngling."  
  
Evidently not caring for the words, Yiara scowled and wriggled under Hismonia's fingers, grasping one with her entire hand. She stopped, suddenly interested in whatever was in her grip. She pulled it closer, inspecting all sides of it, gurgling and squeaking all the while under her breath. Hismonia smiled, and said, "Beautiful. And very strong in the Force, as well." She gently pulled her finger out of Yiara's hand and held her out to Yaddle, who took her back. "Oh yes...very beautiful," Hismonia said quietly.  
  
"Thank you, Master," Yaro said, apparently proud of his little daughter. Mace also felt his face flush with honor, knowing that he had (kind of) helped the little life come into this world.  
  
Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he stared at the Council, who were no longer smiling. All had bleak expressions, and Mace suddenly realized what they were about to say.  
  
Hismonia inhaled, bringing herself up as high as she could sitting. Her lekku twitched irritably. "Yaro, Yaddle...I despise to be the ones to say this, and wish I did not have to..." She paused, letting the tension float in the air. "You are both expelled from the Order of the Jedi."  
  
***** 


	12. Part 12

Reflection: Part 12 *****  
  
Yosho paced outside Yaro's door, waiting for his son to return. At the moment, he was at Yaddle's room, to help her pack. Mace stood next to him, his eyes brimming with tears of anger and sorrow. Rentha and Fulageo were in the Temple hangar, warming up the Playtoy.  
  
The old Jedi Master did not comfort the boy. If he was to become a Jedi, he would need to learn to suppress those feelings. Mace sniffed and rubbed at his nose. He whispered, "It's not fair."  
  
"No, it is not," Yosho agreed, his voice hard and soft at the same time. "As I said before, the Jedi Council is blinded by the Code. But then, rules are needed, and if they were always broken, they would not be rules at all."  
  
Mace wiped away his tears with his sleeve, leaving the wet stains upon it. "Yeah, that makes sense." His face soured. "But it's still not fair."  
  
"Many things are not fair, Mace. It is a fact of life you will need to accept."  
  
"Yes sir." Mace stared back at the wall. The two Jedi, one young and one old, stood in silence with their backs to the wall. After a few minutes of the stillness, Mace said, "What about you, and Yiara? Are you going with them?"  
  
Yosho nodded gravely. "Yes. We are planning to return to the Aeetosians' planet...but..."  
  
"But what, sir?"  
  
"Yiara is not coming with us. She will stay here, and become a Jedi."  
  
Mace pulled back, obviously in shock. "They're taking Yiara from her parents!? But-"  
  
"No, young Padawan," Yosho interrupted, his voice very stern. He looked up at the boy, trying to make the boy understand. "Yaro and Yaddle asked them to take her, of their own free will. It was their wishes and the Council agreed."  
  
Mace was thunderstruck, unable to complain, retaliate, or comment. His mouth hang open for a few seconds of shocked quiet, then he politely closed it and returned to staring at the wall.  
  
Trying to disrupt the silence, Yosho said curiously, "Who will be your Master, Mace?"  
  
Mace didn't turn his face from the wall, still upset and furious. "Master Hismonia," he mumbled sharply, like the word was something vile that should not be spoken at all in public. He obviously resented Hismonia for delivering the expulsion of Yaro and Yaddle.  
  
Yosho frowned. "Do not blame Hismonia. It was not just her vote; it was hers combined with others. She is a wonderful teacher, and you will make her proud. Sure of this, I am."  
  
The Padawan was about to retaliate, but then Yaro and Yaddle came around the corner. He pointedly shut up.  
  
"Father," Yaro said quietly, still in a state of shock. He and Yaddle both had small bags and blankets under their arms. Yiara was cuddled snugly in her mother's arms, unaware and uncaring for the tragedy happening around her.  
  
"Let me help you with that," Mace said, taking a suitcase from Yaddle. Yosho did the same, taking a few blankets and bags from his son.  
  
Nodding in thanks, Yaro looked at them and said, "We need to get to the ship if we're leaving now, Father."  
  
"I understand." Seeing Mace's desperate, pitiful face, Yosho said, "Come and help us load the Playtoy, Mace."  
  
Mace nodded eagerly as the small quartet walked towards the hangar. Once there, they found their bounty hunter friends, both checking that the ship was ready for liftoff. Looking up, Rentha said dully, "She's ready and willing, Jedi."  
  
Yaro nodded. "Thank you Rentha, Fulageo." Walking over to the pair, he said sadly, "How can I thank you, my friends?"  
  
Fulageo grinned toothily. "We could use a ride back to Tatooine, if ya don't mind! We left our ship there, and want to see if our friend at the hangar kept his promise of protecting it."  
  
Yaro looked like he might laugh, but held it back. "Alright. You can go on, we just need to say goodbye." He, Mace, and Yosho gave the luggage to Rentha and Fulageo for them to load. Turning to Mace, Yaro put his hands on the Padawan's shoulders. "Well, this is goodbye, I suppose."  
  
Mace started to cry anew, trying to hide it. Unsuccessfully. Wiping his tears away, he said, "Yeah, I guess."  
  
"You are very powerful, Mace Windu, and very special to me." Yaro tightened his grip. "You are going to make us all proud, I am sure."  
  
The young boy straightened up, sniffing softly. "I will, I promise, Yaro."  
  
Yaro nodded, his face full of pride and self-satisfaction. "I know you will, Mace." His face fell, his eyes growing distant and sad. "Take care of Yiara for me and Yaddle both, will you?"  
  
"Of course! It's my honor!"  
  
Smiling, Yaro took Yiara from Yaddle's arms and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodbye, little one. Make me proud." He looked again at Yaddle, then handed the baby to Mace. "Please take care of her."  
  
"I will, Master Yaro. I will." Mace's eyes began to water again, his brown eyes shining with the moisture. "Goodbye, and may the Force be with you all."  
  
Yaddle walked up to the boy and hugged him and Yiara tightly. "Thank you, and may the Force be with you and my daughter as well." She looked up at Mace, not even making an effort to hide her tears. "Maybe...maybe we shall meet again."  
  
"Maybe, Master Yaddle. It's not as big a galaxy as one might think, after all," Mace said, attempting to laugh to mask his utter despair.  
  
Yaddle did not answer. She only looked again at Yiara, and then trekked into Yaro's Playtoy. Yaro followed her, leaving Mace, Yiara, and Yosho alone on the platform. Mace smiled past his tears. "Goodbye, Master Yosho."  
  
"I'm not a Master," the elder said playfully as he turned to enter the ship. He caught the last words Mace had said as the hatch closed, slamming shut behind him:  
  
"I know. But I think you are."  
  
*****  
  
Aoife was in her home, sewing together a new shirt for her elder brother. When she was almost finished, she heard a distant roaring, like that of a ship. She strained her ears. In fact, it sounded like...  
  
She leaped up and out of the hut, shocked to see the ship Yaro's Playtoy landing right outside the village. Her heart leaped; the Senate had finally heard of them at last! She, along with her father and the rest of her village, cheering and yelling out at their very much welcomed visitors.  
  
The starship set down and the hatch lowered. Out walked the three Jedi whom they had befriended just a few days ago. Aoife ran forward and said excitedly, "You have come! What did the Senate say?"  
  
Yaro looked up with a jerk. His gaze had been on the ground, his face very sullen and cold. "What? Oh, yeah. The Jedi Council talked to the Supreme Chancellor, and they are expecting a Senator within a standard month."  
  
Aoife let out a squeal of joy and clapped her hands. "That's simply wonderful!" She looked at the two Jedi, Yaddle and Yaro, in front of her. Her smile disappeared at their sad faces. "What is wrong, my friends?"  
  
Yaddle said glumly, "Yaddle and I...we were expelled from the Jedi Order."  
  
"Oh," Aoife said. "That...that is awful. I am so sorry."  
  
Yaro's crooked smile broke through the gloom. "Don't worry about it, Aoife. We came here, hoping to make a fresh start, and help you out when you're a Senator, after all."  
  
"What? Me? Senator?" Aoife put a startled hand to her chest. "You can't be serious!"  
  
Yosho chuckled. "Quite serious. Since you are probably the only Aeetosian who can speak Basic fluently, they said you should become Senator of...what IS the name of this planet, anyway?"  
  
"Kopa," Aoife responded. "We thought you knew." Looking back at Yaro, she said, "You said something about living here?"  
  
"Yes, actually." He smiled sheepishly. "With yours and your father's permission, of course."  
  
Turning to her father, Aoife translated everything to the chief. Versalo smiled and spread out his hands; a gesture of welcome. "He says you are quite welcome here, for the rest of your lives. If you like, we will start building a home for you all right away."  
  
Yosho chuckled. "'The rest of our lives'? THAT could be quite a long time."  
  
Nudging his father playfully in the side, Yaro said, "That would be wonderful, Senator. We'll help, of course."  
  
Aoife smiled toothily and rubbed her chin as she walked off. "Senator? Hm...I think I could get used to that..."  
  
*****  
  
The whole forest and all of its inhabitants could hear the sound of wood being sawed, drilled, and hammered into place as the whole village and the three Jedi went to work on the homestead. Yaddle, Yaro, and Yosho had specifically chosen a wide, open field for their new abode, so that they would have a lot of room to spare and still be close to the village in case of trouble.  
  
"New boards, coming up!" Yosho yelled as he and three of the Aeetosians lifted the timber by rope up to the roof of the two-story home. The muscled warriors above easily lifted the heavy boards and put them in place. Yaro busied himself with nailing down a board.  
  
A board that refused to cooperate.  
  
"ARGH!" The man cried out when the plank (which was made of a very flexible and bouncy wood known as ruberro) flew up, pulling nails up with it, and smacked him full in the face. "Sith! Damned board!" He pushed it back down, this time using the Force to keep it glued down. "Ha! Taught you, eh?"  
  
Yaddle chuckled as she walked over with a leather bag full of nails. "Nice to see you fighting the forces of evil once again, Yaro. Here's some nails for you."  
  
Yaro laughed sarcastically as he took the nails, pounding them into the wood harder than he really hard to. "Very funny, Yaddle. Thanks for the nails, though." When he had hammered in the last nail, he let go, expecting what had happened thirteen times. The board stayed still, and he let out a happy sigh. Looking up at Yaddle, he said, "No boards gonna keep me down, huh?"  
  
Laughing so hard she had to clutch her belly, Yaddle said, "Yes, I suppose so!" She bent down and kissed him on the cheek softly. He chuckled and put her hand on his shoulder, holding it tightly. "I love you, Yaddle," he murmured.  
  
"I love you too, Yaro." She watched him go help a young teen nail down another ruberro board and walked over to where Aoife was hauling up a new load of boards. Spying the Jedi, she said, "We just might be done by sunset, if we are lucky!"  
  
"Yeah, I hope so," Yaddle said quietly, staring off into space. Worried, the Aeetosian Senator put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Yaddle? Is something upsetting you?"  
  
Yaddle shook her head, and smiled. "It's nothing, really. It's just that...I miss my daughter."  
  
"I see," Aoife said, nodding in sympathy and understanding. "It is never hard to lose a child. But over time, the pain will ease. And like you told me, she will have a good life with the Jedi. You might even see her again someday."  
  
"I hope so. I really do."  
  
*****  
  
"Well? What do you think?" Aoife gestured to the completed building.  
  
Yaro, Yaddle, Yosho, and all of the Aeetosians stepped back from the house. It was fairly basic, with two floors. A long, twisting stairway (with small, short steps) paved the way to a needle-shaped tower. It was painted a faint green, to match the field it was built in. "It's wonderful, Aoife!" Yosho said, nodding excitedly. "It's even better than I thought it would be, right Yaro?"  
  
"Yes, I love it," Yaro agreed. Looking up at Versalo and Aoife, he said, "It's great; thank you for helping."  
  
Aoife translated to her father, who said something in response. "He says that it is nothing, and that it is our honor to help you with whatever you need, Yaro."  
  
Yaro's eyes widened as he threw a quick glance at Yaddle. "Anything?"  
  
*****  
  
"Now put your hand on top of hers."  
  
Yaro did as he was instructed, placing his hand palm-down on Yaddle's. He looked at her, and was a bit surprised to see her blushing. Then again, he thought, I'm probably blushing too! Looking up at Aoife and Versalo, he said, "And?"  
  
Versalo barked a few words. Aoife translated, "Repeat after me: I, Yaro, pledge myself to this woman till the day I leave this world."  
  
Nodding, Yaro looked back at Yaddle and took a deep breath. "I, Yaro, pledge myself to this woman till the day I leave this world."  
  
Aoife nodded, flung a few flower petals and spices into the air, then said to Yaddle, "Now you do the same."  
  
"I, Yaddle, pledge myself to this man till the day I leave this world."  
  
Versalo tossed more petals and leaves into the air, then cried out a long series of barks, whistles, and chirps in the native language. Repeating it in Basic, his daughter said, "Then these two are bonded for life, until the day they die."  
  
Yosho and all of the Aeetosians cheered, but Yaro was deaf to it all. All he could concentrate on was Yaddle, his new wife. I can hardly believe how lucky I am, he thought, I can hardly believe that I'm even standing here, holding her hands in mine. Is it just a passing dream? A fantasy?  
  
His entire life suddenly paled in comparison to this moment. In the midst of the hoots, yells, and shouts, Yaro said, "Yaddle, I-"  
  
But she cut off his sentence by placing a finger on his lips. "Don't say anything," she whispered as she pulled him closer to her gently. She's never looked so...so... Yaro couldn't think of a word to describe Yaddle.  
  
She replaced her finger with her lips, and the moment seemed to last forever, a peaceful eternity that would go on for all of time. I hope it does, he thought, I really hope it does...  
  
*****  
  
"Master Yoda? May I speak with you?" Master Hismonia looked down upon Yoda, her face very concerned. "Privately?"  
  
The wizened Jedi Master looked up, his lined face puckering in confusion and curiosity. "Alright..."  
  
Nodding, Hismonia led Yoda down the hallway that led down to the nursery, where the youngest Jedi (the children a year younger and less) were taken care of until old enough. "It's about Yiara," She said quietly.  
  
"What about her?"  
  
Hismonia stopped in front of a viewing window, gazing upon all of the infants inside. Yoda smiled; he always liked to see the Jedi of the future. But he noticed that Hismonia was not smiling. She was frowning. "She's not doing well." She turned her attention to a nurse attempting to feed Yiara. "Yiara will not eat, and is losing valuable weight."  
  
Like the Jedi Master had said, the tiny girl refused to drink from the bottle being offered to her. No matter what the nurse did, Yiara simply would not eat. Giving up, the nurse set the infant back in her crib and walked away to tend the other babies. Yiara did not fuss, squeak, or fidget like she had when Yoda had first seen her; she simply stayed in the position she had been left in, not moving a single muscle.  
  
Looking down at Yoda, Hismonia said, "What do you think could possibly be wrong?"  
  
"I'll tell you what's wrong, Master Jedi."  
  
Yoda and Hismonia turned to see Zionas, the head-nurse and Master of the nurseries. Her usually soft, caring, and kind face was contorted with anger and despair at the same time. Pointing to Yiara, she said, "Master Yoda, you're great-granddaughter is dying."  
  
Hismonia leaned in closer, her expression startled. "What?"  
  
Zionas puffed up even more. "Yiara wants, no, NEEDS, her parents. Even though she was with her parents for less than a week, she is attached to them, and cannot survive without them." Looking sadly at the tiny, quiet infant inside, she said, "Yiara is dying from a broken heart." ***** 


	13. Part 13

Reflection: Part 13  
  
*****  
  
Yosho got a tighter grip on the rope, clinching his talons into the tree branch he stood upon. "Ready, Yaro?"  
  
Nodding back at his father from the tree across Yosho, Yaro said, "Ready!" It was almost a week later after Yaro and Yaddle's wedding, and they were helping the Aeetosians put up enormous fur rugs up in the trees to gather the rain water, for the rainy season was coming in, according to Aoife, and the rains could get very nasty and flood the small village.  
  
Both Jedi pulled as hard as they could, pulling the huge tarp twenty feet into the air. I'm getting old for this! Yosho said in his mind. At my age, I'm supposed to be walking around on a cane for support and complaining about 'kids these days'!  
  
When the tarp was in the proper place, Yosho tied the rope tightly to the tree trunk. Across from him, Yaro did the same. After hitting it a few times to see if it was tight, Yosho decided the knot was stable, then slid down the huge tree to its base. Seeing Aoife and Yaddle, he waved and said, "That's the last one!"  
  
The two walked over and Aoife said, "Great! Thank you, Master Yosho, Master Yaro, and Lady Yaddle. Our homes should be safe from the rains now, in case it gets very serious." Looking over at Yaro, she said, "It's been almost a week; shouldn't we be going to Coruscant to discuss the trade routes with the Senate?"  
  
Yaro nodded. "Yes, we should. How long do you need?"  
  
"Just long enough to make myself presentable."  
  
"Great. I'll go get the Playtoy warmed up, and all four of us will leave in less than an hour." Yaro and Yaddle walked off, hand in hand, while Aoife went to go get dressed more like a Senator than a 'primitive', as most as the Senate would think the Aeetosians were. Yosho just stood at the base of the ruberro tree, watching his son and his daughter-in-law trek towards the Playtoy, and smiled. They are such a wonderful couple, he thought. So very much in love. Just like he and Yaro's mother had been.  
  
Sighing tiredly, he sat down on the soft moss cross-legged and folded his arms. "It's been a while since I've had the chance to meditate," he said to no one; everyone else was busy with something, not bothering with the tiny elderly man. He closed his eyes, and allowed himself to fall into the Force. The whole galaxy seemed to come into a better focus, and he studied it in hopes of trying to see the future.  
  
The image of Yiara came into his mind. He smiled; Oh, how he would have spoiled that girl! But his smiled faded away as the image began to evaporate, leaving only despair behind. He opened his eyes back open, full of uncertainty and curiosity. What does the vision mean, he wondered. A premonition of the future, or my own worries of losing her like I almost did Yaro?  
  
"Father! The ship and Aoife are ready!" Yosho jumped at the sound of his son's voice from the Playtoy. "Are you coming?"  
  
Pushing himself to his feet, he began to walk towards the ship. "I am, I am! You need to learn the value of patience, Yaro!" He strolled casually into the ship and took a look at the other three passengers.  
  
Yaro had taken up a dark lavender robe trimmed with silver lining, the bottom brushing the floor. The trim extended up along the shoulders of the robe, curling like vines. A second vest beneath was cerulean, made of the finest materials. His thick brown hair had been neatly trimmed and braided. He still wore Yosho's old belt, with his lightsaber and two blasters hanging just out of sight but still within hand's reach.  
  
Aoife looked splendid in her white robes, accented with crimson beads that tinkled when she made even the slightest movement. Her long hair was pulled back into thick dreadlocks, also threaded with beads. She now had an air of raw power and beauty that demanded everyone's utter and complete attention.  
  
Yaddle, on the other hand, had gone for the simple look of dusty- brown robes on top of a white dress, completed with a silver-chained belt. And yet she still made them look absurdly gorgeous.  
  
Yaro grinned, then pushed the throttle, steering the Playtoy out of the atmosphere and into hyperspace.  
  
*****  
  
"They here yet, Master?"  
  
"No, Mace."  
  
"Oh." Mace stuck his hands back into his long sleeves, grabbing onto his wrists to stop from fidgeting. He worked his tongue in his cheek and along his teeth. Silence filled the corridor of the domed Senate Building.  
  
Ten minutes later...  
  
"They here yet, Master?"  
  
His Master looked down, a scowl fixed on her lined face. "No, Mace. You are beginning to try my patience; please do not ask me again."  
  
Mace sighed, and looked back at the ground. He had heard that the Aeetosian Senator Aoife, of the planet Kopa, was coming, and that her Representative Yaro and their two assistants were coming along as well. The moping Mace Windu had suddenly become filled with energy, ecstatic to meet his friends again, if only for a little while. He desperately wanted to talk to Yaro; he missed the man so much that he felt that he was going to scream from impatience.  
  
But he was also worried; he had heard from Hismonia that little Yiara's health had deteriorated since her family's leaving. The medical staff was really trying their best, he knew, but nothing was working. He felt horrible; he had promised Yaro that he would care for the child, and so far was failing quite miserably. The shame if Yiara died...  
  
He shook his head free of the image. No, she'll get better, he told himself as optimistically as he could. When Yaddle and Yaro find out, they'll know just what to do. Yep...  
  
"Their ship has arrived," Master Hismonia announced. Mace jumped at the sound of her voice, then looked out the window to the landing platform. To his complete joy, there was the Yaro's Playtoy. And walking out of it was four very, very familiar faces. He wanted so badly to run to them, but seeing the stern look on Hismonia's face, he forced himself to walk a few steps behind her.  
  
It was quite possibly the hardest thing he had ever done.  
  
"Senator Aoife. Welcome to Coruscant, milady." Mace could hardly distinguish the well-dressed woman from the primitive translator he had met back on Kopa. Seeing Yaro, who Mace had learned was Aoife's representative, Hismonia's face both relaxed and tightened at the same time. "Representative Yaro. How pleasant so see you again."  
  
"And you as well, Master Hismonia," Yaro said, with a polite bow. "How charming to meet you." Seeing Mace, He smiled widely. "Mace? Mace Windu? It's nice to see you again!"  
  
Mace smiled just as broadly. "Yeah. Congratulations on becoming Senator, Aoife."  
  
"Thank you," Aoife returned. Looking back at Master Hismonia, she said, "Would you be so kind as to lead the way?"  
  
"Of course." Hismonia lead the group into the building and to the conference room. Standing outside the door, she said, "Here you are, milady."  
  
"Thank you." Mace watched the foursome walk onto their floating platform. The sheer numbers of people in the circular room astounded the young Padawan; thousands of Senators and Representatives (and not to mention their aides), all in the same room. A few platforms, a dozen at the most, held Humans, but aliens held the vast majority by far.  
  
In the center stood the Supreme Chancellor Valorum. He was very young, still in his early twenties. But, from what Mace had been told, his political talents far preceded his age. His majordomo, Mas Amedda, called for silence, his blue skin tinged with agitation. The booming voice of the majordomo echoed loudly off of the walls, causing the chatter of all the beings continued.  
  
When all was quiet, Valorum looked towards Aoife's platform. "I am happy and proud to introduce our newest colleague; Senator Aoife of the planet Kopa, and her representative Yaro."  
  
Scattered polite claps sounded out until Mas Amedda called again for silence. Giving the majordomo a moment to quiet them, Aoife stood silent, then said, "Thank you all. Like the esteemed Chancellor said, I come from the planet of Kopa, which has been isolated from the galaxy for over a decade."  
  
She paused to let this sink in, then continued. "I come before you all to ask that some of you to add a trade route unto my planet. We are not primitive, as many of you might think; simply secluded and out-of-the-way. Kopa has many products that we can offer to the galaxy, if given the chance."  
  
"Such as what?" The Senator of Ryloth, the Twi'lek Orn Free Taa, bellowed out, his lekku twitching in curiosity.  
  
Aoife turned to Yaro, who nodded and took the platform. Mace felt his anger go up a few notches when their came a few guffaws of such a tiny man.  
  
Yaro ignored the jeers completely, turning his attention to Orn. "Such as spices, fruits, animal skins, metals, and such. And if the time comes that refugees are in need of a new planet to call their home, Kopa is large, habitable, and has more than enough room to spare."  
  
He let this hang in the air as the Senators chattered amongst themselves. Mace listened to Yaro and Aoife talk to each other:  
  
"Yaro, do you think that they will agree?" Aoife asked worriedly.  
  
The ex-Jedi shook his head. "I do not know; after all, there is the saying that 'men plan, and the gods laugh'."  
  
Aoife smiled, then sat back down as the Senator of the Trade Federation floated up. His green skin and large, orange eyes turned to Yaro and said, "We, the Trade Federation, will make way for a route to Kopa...if the Aeetosians are willing to take a few dozen refugees and make them citizens." His eyes glittered. "Is that acceptable, Master Jedi?"  
  
Yaro took in a sharp breath, obviously stunned. But in less than a second, he regained his composure. "Yes, Kopa can accept that. And, excuse me for saying so, Senator, but I no longer go by that title."  
  
The Trade Federation Senator bowed apologetically. "Begging your pardon, Representative Yaro. I forgot the fact that you were...expelled from your order."  
  
Mace scowled heavily. He knew that the Neimoidian Senator hadn't forgotten at all; he was toying with Yaro, to test the man's weaknesses and strengths. Like a school bully teasing a new kid. "That's not very fair," he commented to Hismonia.  
  
"That's politics; a huge show of power and weakness." She told him with a sigh. Mace noted in the back of his brain that she seemed more old and frail today then usual He waved it off, and turned his attention back to the meeting.  
  
"Yes, I was," Yaro was saying to the Neimoidian, "But that is in the past. Let us concentrate on the future, Senator."  
  
The Neimoidian was about to retaliate, but was cut off by Orn Free Taa. "If the Trade Federation will do business with Kopa, then Ryloth is willing to as well, if your claims about the spices are true."  
  
"As will Naboo," came the reply from Naboo's newest Senator; a Human by the name of Palpatine, if Mace wasn't mistaken. Something jolted in the back of his brain, but he couldn't place what it was, so he ignored it.  
  
Yaro smiled at Aoife as more offers came up. "Would you like to take the floor, milady?"  
  
Aoife nodded, and stood up on the podium. When she did, the other Senators quieted to hear her words. "We thank you all, and we promise that you will not be at all disappointed with your decisions."  
  
Mas Amedda signaled for the end of the meeting, and all of the platforms drifted back to their stations. Mace instantly went to the side of Yaro and Aoife when they arrived out of their podium. "That was great, Aoife-I mean, milady."  
  
Aoife smiled sweetly at the young Padawan. "Thank you, Mace. I'm very glad that our meeting went so well, too. Aren't you, Yaro?"  
  
Yaro said, "Yes, I am." Mace barely noted the well-hidden hint of anger and depression in his voice. Apparently, the Trade Federation Senator's comment had struck a nerve. But Yaro was quick and strong enough to overcome it. "It could have gone worse; the Force was on our side today."  
  
Hismonia nodded in agreement. "Yes..." Looking at Mace, she said, "Mace, would you lead Yosho and Senator Aoife to their ship? Yaro, Yaddle...May I speak with you in private, for just a moment?"  
  
The two stole a glance at each other, then Yaddle said, "Alright, Master Hismonia." She and Yaro followed the Twi'lek as Mace lead Aoife and Yosho back to the Playtoy. He wondered how they would take the news...  
  
*****  
  
"What do you mean...Yiara is not well?" Yaddle didn't even bother to hide the panic in her voice. Besides, even if she had tried, it wouldn't have worked.  
  
Hismonia sighed sadly, heavily, and began to walk down the hall. They were in the huge Jedi Temple again, and at first, Yaddle had been relieved at the familiar building. But when Hismonia had led them to the nursery, she had begun to fear the worst. "Since the two of you left, her health has been failing quickly. Madam Zionas believes that it is because that Yiara has bonded with you two, and will only accept care from you. So I-"  
  
"Where is she?" Yaro interrupted sternly. Yaddle was shocked to see his face contorted with fury.  
  
But then, she hardly blamed him. They had left their only daughter in the Temple's care, and she was dying. Deep inside, she felt incredibly betrayed.  
  
Hismonia drew back at the sound of Yaro's infuriated voice, but composed herself and pointed to the window. "In there."  
  
Yaddle looked and saw her tiny child, lying on her back in her crib. To her horror, Yiara seemed much thinner and smaller than she had when Yaddle and Yaro had left. Yaddle could feel her parental instincts surge up, making her want to run in and grab her tiny offspring, to protect her.  
  
She did her best to hold these feelings down and said, as calmly as possible to Hismonia, "So why did you bring us back?"  
  
"We want to see if Madam Zionas' assumption is correct." Hismonia took in a deep breath. "If it is, the Council is willing to let both of you reenter the Order."  
  
Yaro nodded in acceptance. "I see..." He looked back into the window. "When can we see her?"  
  
"Right now, if you wish."  
  
"Alright." Looking at Yaddle, Yaro said, "We'll need to inform Father and Aoife that we'll be staying here for a few days."  
  
***** 


	14. Part 14

Reflection: Part 14  
  
*****  
  
"Her health has increased dramatically, Master Yoda."  
  
"Yes, yes. Much better she is."  
  
It was the next day after Yaro and Yaddle's return to the Temple. They had spent the entire night with their daughter, taking shifts to care for Yiara, with the occasional help of Madam Zionas. Since then, Yiara's strength had returned to its fullest, and her will to live along with it. A good deal of the Temple had been relieved; Yiara tended to grow on people.  
  
Yoda and Hismonia were walking down the hallway. Hismonia had become dependant on a cane like the far more ancient Jedi Master beside her.  
  
She smiled down at Yoda, who had cheered up because of his great- granddaughter's recovery. "I'm very happy that Yiara is better, Master Yoda."  
  
Yoda nodded happily; even he couldn't deny he had been worried about the child. "Yes." His face soured. "But proves, it does, that Yiara needs her parents."  
  
Hismonia sighed and dwelled on this. "Correct...but they cannot be allowed back into the Order. That would show that we were wrong in our decision, and possibly lower the Senate's and the Order's faith in our choices."  
  
Yoda halted and Hismonia stopped as well. He closed his eyes, searching the back of his eyelids for answers. Hismonia stood silently, waiting for what the ancient Jedi would say, slightly impatient.  
  
For the first time in a LONG time, she was beginning to feel less and less patient with even the littlest of things. She felt her body's desire to leave this world quite clearly, but she wished to further the tutelage of Mace Windu, and would lengthen her time in this world as much as possible. She felt that this boy was incredibly special, and would someday shape the future of the Republic and the Jedi Order. Hismonia could feel it in her very bones.  
  
Yoda opened his eyes and looked up at his old comrade. "My decision alone, it is not. When in Council, we are, my opinion then will I state. I must see to my grandchild now."  
  
Hismonia nodded her approval on this. "Alright then. We will discuss this later." They began to walk away from each other; him to the nursery, her to her room, both in very deep thought. When Hismonia got to her door, she suddenly had the feeling that she might not speak to Yoda after all.  
  
*****  
  
"She looks so much healthier! Doesn't she?" Madam Zionas' face was lit up with joy at seeing how much Yiara had improved. Her body and spirit had recovered to when she had arrived to the Temple. The babe no longer just laid there still and quiet, but seemed to bust at the seams with energy, constantly wriggling and looking around.  
  
Her eyes were no longer dull and bored, but bright and full of life and curiosity of the world she knew so little of.  
  
Yiara's parents, too, seemed in much better spirits upon returning to their offspring. Yaro could be heard whistling through the corridors, and Yaddle smiled much more than she used to.  
  
Yaro grinned proudly as he cradled his babbling, wiggling child in his arms. Yaddle was sleeping in the next room, exhausted, for she had stayed up all night with Yiara. "Yes, she has, and Yaddle and I couldn't be happier."  
  
"It's a shame you and Yaddle will have to leave again. I'd hate to see poor Yiara suffer so like she did," Zionas said with a sad face. "It was horrible."  
  
"Yes, I suppose it was." Yaro's face scrunched, making his face look much older than it was, expressing all of his inner doubts, concerns, and fears. "I don't know what we'll do if the Council doesn't allow us back into the Order."  
  
Zionas shook her head sadly. "Neither do I." She put her chubby hand on his tiny shoulder comfortingly. "But practically the whole Temple is hoping for yours and Yaddle's return, including me."  
  
Yaro's scowl turned back into a smile. "Thank you, Madam Zionas, very much." When the nurse had left, he looked down at his heir, who was now had complete concentration on her toes, sticking them in her mouth experimentally. Even then, it amazed him that this just wasn't a child, this was his child. The fact that he and Yaddle had created such a wonderful, beautiful, elegant person constantly blew his mind.  
  
He wondered how she would look when she got older, what her personality would be like, how powerful in the Force would be. Always in motion, is the future, Yoda had taught him.  
  
But no harm in trying, eh?  
  
Pulling a toe out of her mouth, he said, "I have to go for a little while, Yiara, sweetie. Is that okay with you?"  
  
Paying no attention whatsoever, Yiara simply pulled her foot out of her father's hand and promptly stuck it back in where it was. Yaro laughed and said, "Well, I suppose that means 'yes'!" Walking over to her crib, he set her back down gently.  
  
When she didn't cry out for his attention, he walked into the other room. Spying Yaddle on the couch with his cloak on her, he shook her gently. "Yaddle. It's time."  
  
*****  
  
I'm going to scream, Yaro kept repeating over and over in his head. He and Yaddle stood in front of the Jedi Council (except for Hismonia, who had not come). The Council was speaking amongst themselves for what seemed to take a millennia. If they go on whispering one more nanosecond, I'm going to run shrieking out of this room like a mad man.  
  
Thankfully for Yaro, the Council looked back at him and his wife. I wonder why Master Hismonia is suddenly missing, Yaro pondered. She's always at these meetings; is she well?  
  
"Yaro, Yaddle, we would first like to say that it is very wonderful to see you both in good health, and your child as well," a Rodian Jedi Master said, and the other Masters nodded to show how they felt as well.  
  
Yaro and Yaddle bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Master." Yaro began to translate the words in his head to the way he heard them:  
  
"Yes...it has become clear that Yiara evidently needs the two of you to live, for she refuses care from no one else..."  
  
Translation: You're just here to care for your kid.  
  
"...but even in light of this, both of you were expelled from the Order of the Jedi..."  
  
Translation: You can't come back, so nyah.  
  
"...so we have decided to what has never been done before."  
  
Translation: We're gonna kick you out AGAIN!! And your daughter too!  
  
The Rodian Master paused, then looked to Yoda, who nodded and finished the other's message, "Allowed to return to the Jedi Order, you two are."  
  
Transla-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?!?  
  
*****  
  
"I do not believe it."  
  
"Yaro-"  
  
"I do not believe it."  
  
"Yaro!"  
  
"I do not-"  
  
Yaddle clapped a hand over her husband's mouth, unable to stand Yaro's flabbergasted babble. They were heading to the Playtoy (with Yiara in tow) to tell them the good news. The whole way from the Council room to the Senate Building hangar, Yaro had had a blank expression on his face, his eyes staring straight into space. Releasing, her hand, she said, "You say that again, I'm going to toss you off of one of the Temple towers."  
  
"Oh. Sorry." He looked to the sky, watching vehicles zoom by. "I just can't believe it; we're returning to the Jedi Order."  
  
"Yes, it is a shock. But a blessing too, I think."  
  
The two saw the Playtoy in Docking Bay 1645; Yosho was making last minute preparations on the ship, and Aoife was inside, probably happy to return to her home planet and her people. Arthree whistled and beeped happily at the return of his pilot.  
  
Seeing his son and his little family, Yosho smiled and waved at them. "So! I see my granddaughter is all better!" He took the little girl in his arms, cooing at her as lovingly as any proud grandparent possibly could.  
  
Yaro smiled impishly. "That's not all."  
  
Yosho looked up, a curious gleam in his ancient eyes. "Oh?"  
  
Taking a quick glance at Yaddle, then looking back at his father, Yaro took in a deep breath and said, "Yaddle and I have been accepted back into the Jedi Order."  
  
Seeming to be suffering the same reaction his son had felt, Yosho's mouth unhinged. Then his gaping mouth closed and formed a broad grin. "I don't believe it."  
  
Yaddle scowled and pointed a threatening finger at the old man. "Now don't YOU start!!"  
  
"It's just...wow!" He used his free hand (the other being fingered by Yiara) to pat his son on the shoulder. "That's wonderful! I'm very happy for you all."  
  
Aoife chose to make her appearance then, and when informed of Yaro and Yaddle's return to the Order, she was ecstatic. Clapping her hands together like an eager child, she said, "This is simply superb! I couldn't be happier for the both of you!" She angled her head on her shoulder. "Are you going to continue your duties as Representative, Yaro?"  
  
Yaro paused; he hadn't thought about that. In fact, he had forgotten it completely. Spending a few seconds in thought, he said, "Yes, I will. I can not accept these responsibilities, then shirk them at the first opportunity."  
  
"Very well said, Yaro. I take it that you are going to stay here with your daughter, then?"  
  
"Yes, we are. I'll have a ship made for you." Looking at his father, Yaro said, "Will you remain, father?" He desperately hoped Yosho would stay; there was still so much of his past that he didn't know, and only his father held the answers.  
  
Yosho smiled sadly. "No, actually."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
The old Jedi sighed. "I'm older than you think, my son, nearly 700, to be exact! I want a place to fade away peacefully, and I believe Kopa to be that place." Seeing his son's distraught face, he handed Yiara back to Yaddle, and embraced his son as tightly as his old bone's allowed him. "Don't worry about me, Yaro. I'm gonna be around for a long time still, if your grandfather is any example!"  
  
He stepped back to gaze at his only child. Over two centuries ago, he had seen Yaro as a mere boy, still having much to learn. But now he saw him for what he was; not just a man, but a Jedi Knight, with a wonderful wife and a beautiful child of his own.  
  
"You can do this on your own, my son," he said finally. "You no longer need my guidance, whatever you think. Everything I can teach you, you already know."  
  
Yaro stood stock still, letting this soak in. With a deep, heavy sigh, he said, "I understand, Father. I'm going to miss you deeply, and you as well, Aoife."  
  
Aoife knelt and the group held each other close, finishing their silent goodbyes.  
  
*****  
  
"YARO! YARO, YADDLE!!"  
  
Before Yaro and Yaddle could turn around, both were swept up and crushed in tight hugs. Yiara wailed in shock and protest.  
  
"Hey! Who the hell-" Yaro looked up and gasped. "Trixis?! Fibril!? Ilene!?"  
  
His best friends smiled and set them down. Ilene laughed heartedly and said, "We've heard the news, Yaro, Yaddle, and we couldn't be happier, couldn't we guys?"  
  
Trixis nodded, her lekku waggling from the movement. "Yes! I'm so glad to see you both again!"  
  
Yaro cooed to Yiara, quieting her bawling, and said to his friends, "It is wonderful to see you once again, too, my old friends! I've missed you all!"  
  
Fibril squatted down and lightly slapped Yaro on the back. "You just have to tell us your tale! We've heard several dozen versions, and aren't sure which one to believe which is which!"  
  
Yaro began to tell his tale, but was interrupted by a young man's voice crying, "Yaro! Yaddle!"  
  
Yaro turned around, and was overjoyed to see Mace Windu running towards him. "Mace! How are-"  
  
"You have to come quick!" Mace stopped in front of the group of Jedi, panting. Pointing up the stairs, he said, "It's Master Hismonia!"  
  
*****  
  
When Yaro entered the room, along with his friends, Mace, and Yaddle, he caught his breath sharply.  
  
Master Hismonia, who had been here since he was a Padawan, lay on the bed. Her complexion was pale, her light-peach had turned as white as chalk, and the scattered, dark-brown spots on her body were now a tan color. Her breathing came in short breaths as she struggled to hold on to life.  
  
The rest of the Jedi Council was there, their heads hung down in respect as their friend and colleague faded away.  
  
Seeing Yaro, Hismonia smiled faintly, and signaled for him to come closer. When he got close enough, she said to him, in a strained and quiet whisper, "Yaro...I am dying..."  
  
"Master Hismonia..."  
  
She inhaled as best she could, then let the air flow back out before speaking again. "I need you to do me a favor, old friend."  
  
Yaro nodded. "Anything, Master Hismonia."  
  
"I need you to train Mace Windu when I am gone, Yaro. You must do this for me."  
  
Looking over at the young human, then back to the ailing Jedi Master, Yaro said, "Why me, Master?"  
  
"Because I have seen how much the two of you care for one another; you are the right teacher for him, Yaro." Hismonia took in a deep breath, then exhaled again, more weakly then she had before. "Will you do as I wish you too, Yaro?"  
  
"Without a second thought, Master Hismonia."  
  
"Thank...you..." The Twi'lek inhaled sharply, then let all the breath in her body escape. Her body quivered once, then faded away as she became one with the Force. Thus, Jedi Master Hismonia Risho passed away, leaving only crumpled robes and sore hearts behind.  
  
Yaro tried his best not to weep, but a single tear escaped from his eyes and traveled down his cheeks to drop onto Hismonia's empty bed. The Council began to leave, accepting the death of their associate. Yoda hesitated, concerned for his grandson. "Will you do as Hismonia wished for you to do?"  
  
Quickly regaining his composure, Yaro wiped away the wet line left by the tear and straightened up. "Yes, I will, Master Yoda. To not do so would dishonor her memory, and I would cut my arms off before I do that."  
  
"Alright then, Yaro. Teach young Windu well, you will."  
  
***** 


	15. Epilogue

Reflection: Epilogue  
  
*****  
  
"Yaro? Yaro! Where are you?" Yaddle walked around the hangar bay, searching out for her husband. It was weird; she had been away from the Temple for over a year, and yet she could still find her way to everywhere, especially her beloved library. The crisp smell of the books, the bronze busts of famous Jedi, and the whispering sound of Padawans, Knights, and Masters alike, all studying and learning all they could, was so refreshing for Yaddle, having been away from it for such an extended period of time.  
  
"Over here, Yaddle," Yaro's voice answered from a platform overlooking Coruscant. Though the time was very late into the night, night was something that the city-planet had not experienced in decades. Even though the sun had set, the ambience of the trillions of billions of lights from speeders, rooms, and other things, lit up the planet like the galaxy's largest collection of fireflies.  
  
Walking over to where she had heard her husband's voice, Yaddle found him on an extended platform, dangling his triple-digit feet over the edge, letting the fake wind blow his vest and scarf around him. Yiara was snuggled deep in his arms, and from the way her eyes darted every which way, never staying still, Yaddle guessed that she was no where near ready to go to sleep.  
  
Sitting next to Yaro, Yaddle put a hand on his arm. "Why are you up?"  
  
"Well, Yiara apparently thinks that she's gotten enough rest, and I thought I'd show her all the lights."  
  
"Ah, I see." Looking out to the lights, both Jedi fell silent. Yiara gurgled, cooed, and babbled in her own secret language at the passing taxis, limousines, air buses, and speeders, fascinated by how fast they accelerated past the Temple.  
  
Yaddle closed her eyes, sighed deeply, and let herself fall into the Force. Coruscant always felt so different in the Force than other planets; on other worlds, the Force was nothing more than a gentle whisper to those sensitive to it. But on Coruscant, the trillions of life forces combined into a roaring whirlwind of voices, blasting into her mind. It was like Coruscant was the very core of the Force, like the exact opposite of the eye of a storm.  
  
"I've learned something, Yaddle."  
  
Opening her eyes, Yaddle looked curiously over at her spouse. "Oh? What?"  
  
Yaro looked at her, then Yiara, then stopping his gaze out at Coruscant's glittering skyscrapers. "Twenty-one years ago, I had no home, no identity, no one who gave a damn about me. When I saw my reflection, I saw only Yaro. Just Yaro."  
  
He looked back at her, his crooked smile appearing on his face. "But now, when I see my reflection, I see Yaro...but other things too. I see my wife, Yiara, Yosho, Ilene, Fibril, Trixis, Yoda, Mace, and so many other people. Because you, my friends, and my family have shaped me, Yaddle. I am no longer just a person, but more like a product of the love, friendships, losses, and happiness I have been given."  
  
Yaddle smiled back at him and put her hand on top of hers, squeezing his tightly. "I'm glad you know your purpose Yaro."  
  
Yaro barked out a laugh, startling both Yaddle and Yiara. "Purpose? I don't think even Master Yoda knows his purpose. Like he says, 'always in motion is the future'. I'll never know my true reason for being..." He smiled even wider, returning the tight grip on his hand. "...except for loving you and Yiara."  
  
Smiling every bit as widely as her husband, Yaddle placed her head on Yaro's shoulder for comfort. "I suppose you are right, my love."  
  
"That would be a first." Looking out to the skyline, Yaro let his head rest upon Yaddle's own, flattening her red hair. "I love you, my reflection."  
  
"I love you too, reflection."  
  
*****  
  
THE END...or is it? ^_^ 


End file.
